


Yin and Yang

by jisooluvs



Series: When Worlds Collide [1]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Friendship, not an avatar au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisooluvs/pseuds/jisooluvs
Summary: In a world of isolated societies, Kim Jisoo of the Earth tribe lives in naive optimism to its many faults. When she encounters a particular Air girl in the forest, an unexpected profound relationship blossoms as they fare against a world designed to keep them apart.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Kim Jisoo
Series: When Worlds Collide [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829947
Comments: 21
Kudos: 75





	1. |I| Serendipity

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~
> 
> This prompt was inspired by the HYLT teasers because I loved all their looks (and a tweet I saw lol). I turned it into a oneshot in my JenSoo collection, but then I wanted to expand on it, so here we are. 
> 
> Also, this is NOT an Avatar AU.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story! Feel free to leave a comment or kudos if you like it. I appreciate everything, even you reading :D
> 
> Thank you <3

The emerald green leaves blew softly in the fresh, crisp spring breeze. The singing and chirping of birds echoed through the maze of trees, along with the buzzing and rustling of the many other creatures that occupied the lively forest. 

  
  
  


The canopy of the trees casted a cool shade over a particular raven haired girl, in a chestnut dress and two black bows decorated on her hair, that was knelt on the fertile dirt, peeking under a log with a tiny tortoise by her side.

  
  
  


“Seulgi unnie said I would find one here.” Jisoo muttered, poking and rummaging through the hollow log that had plants, mushrooms, and vines sprouting from its base that draped the wood.

  
  
  


Her tortoise regarded her with thoughtful eyes. Jisoo pushed herself onto a sitting position and crossed her arms in frustration.

  
  
  


“Maybe the Waddle Worm lives in birch logs.” Jisoo pondered with her finger on her chin. Her other finger naturally brushed through the few dark green strands of hair that was a common feature of the Earth tribe. “What do you think, Rabbit?”

  
  


Rabbit the tortoise simply tilted its head. He raised his front foot and, as tortoises do, slowly bounded toward the girl’s leg. Before he could take a second step, Jisoo scooped him up by the belly and propped him on her shoulder.

  
  
  


“We don’t have all day.” Jisoo patted Rabbit’s head playfully. She flashed a determined grin and set her hands on her hips. Her obsidian eyes twinkled with hope that matched the three moles sprinkled on her eyes: one on each eyelid and one near the inner corner. “Let’s go!”

  
  
  


Her bare feet sunk into the soft earth as she strolled through the forest with the little bounce of her heels. Squirrels stopped scurrying to look over at the girl, acknowledging her presence and Earth aura. She gave them a little wave and resumed, humming along the way to the chirping of birds.

  
  
  


Suddenly, an unusually strong gust blew through the trees, mildly blowing the ends of Jisoo’s hair and blowing a flurry of leaves through her legs. She faltered in her tracks and looked around in skepticism. Her senses told her something, or someone, was here, and they were not of the Earth tribe.

  
  
  


“Something is off.” Jisoo cautioned. Rabbit bobbed his head in agreement.

  
  
  


With senses heightened in full alert, she snuck toward the source of the gust. She was bent low and on her tippy toes. She inched closer to a large bush that towered over her, obscuring any view on the other side.

  
  
  


_The wind seemed to have come from here._

  
  
  


Jisoo gingerly parted the leaves and branches of the bush, stepping through as quietly as possible. Occasionally, the protruding sticks jabbed her, but it didn’t break her intense focus. The bush led to a large clearing with someone floating in the middle.

  
  
  


Her breath hitched in surprise and she quickly took cover behind a tree to hide. Her hand instinctively went to check up on Rabbit, who was gripping onto her shoulder firmly.

  
  
  


Slowly, Jisoo peeked out the tree to observe the figure. Her back was turned to Jisoo, but Jisoo could make out her two toned hair – the front blonde and the back jet black – that was tied up in a bun, leaving a few strands out to frame the face. She was wearing a snake print top with white silk that hung off her smooth shoulders. The bright sun made the trinkets on her nails and earrings shine. She seemed to be meditating in the air, completely absorbed in her zone.

  
  
  


_An Air member?_ Jisoo worried her lip. _What are they doing here? Don’t they live in the mountains?_

  
  
  


Jisoo continued to observe her from behind the trunk. The girl radiated a powerful, ethereal aura that she couldn’t explain, which made her more curious and drawn in to her.

  
  
  


_Maybe she’s friendly?_ Jisoo wondered. _But Seulgi unnie always warned me to stay away from other tribes._

  
  
  


The mere idea of making friends excited her. She smiled to herself and her giddiness broke her focus – blindly stepping on a twig.

  
  
  


**_Snap._ **

  
  
  


Jisoo froze at the instant. In the same instant, the Air member whipped her head at the Earth girl, so fast she was sure it caused a form of whiplash. Jisoo gasped in fear from the unexpected appearance of her face. Her elegant, round face held faint red streaks that dragged from her intimidating, storm gray cat eyes down to her cheeks. 

  
  
  


They locked eyes and Jisoo could only gulp.

  
  
  


With a swift movement of her talented hands, the Air girl launched a slice of air that barreled toward Jisoo, cutting a linear line of grass in its wake. She yelped and dove to the side, Rabbit falling off her shoulder in the process. The attack whistled past her ear.

  
  
  


_Rabbit will be fine._ Jisoo thought, propping herself on her knee and blowing her hair out of her eyes. _He’s a tough cookie._

  
  
  


Jisoo bolted before another crescent slice of air could cut her. The Air girl was not in her meditating form anymore. She floated with her legs extended and hands out, trained on Jisoo.

  
  
  


Jisoo recovered from her shock and her fighting instincts took over. Her head lifted to level with the other girl’s fierce gaze that seemed to challenge her, like they were playing a game.

  
  
  


_Oh, it’s on._

  
  
  


With a grunt, Jisoo’s foot pounded on the forest floor, the waves of the power springing up a large chunk of earth in front of her. Her arms came together in an intricate motion and palmed the chunk toward the girl in the air.

  
  
  


Jisoo smiled confidently when the earth, almost the size of the tiny girl, aimed perfectly at her. It was not for long that Jisoo’s face slacked when the hunk was cleaved neatly in half with the halves hurdling past the sides of the Air who was unfazed.

  
  
  


“Is that all you got, dirt girl?” She taunted, smirking at Jisoo’s flabbergasted expression.

  
  
  


_So she’s intentionally picking a fight?_ Jisoo’s glare intensified and her body shook, responding to the nature around her. Despite the taunt, her lips twitched into a smile from excitement. _Then I’ll give her a fight._

  
  
  


Jisoo charged with her arms stretched out that invited the plants and vines that wrapped around her wrists, forming a whip of nature. She lashed the tip at the airborne girl that swiftly dodged it. Her smirk was wiped off her plump lips, replaced by a scowl.

  
  
  


Jisoo kept up the momentum. The forest pumped its energy through her veins as she pummeled the whip with quick succession – each emitting a thunderous cracking sound. The Air was able to dodge the first few, but the final one latched onto her bicep with a tight grip. Jisoo yanked downward, throwing her onto the ground with a hard thud that protruded a small cloud of dust particles in its wake.

  
  
  


“You’re forgetting you’re fighting a dirt girl on her home turf, wind–” Jisoo paused, her mind working to think of a good comeback. “–jerk!”

  
  
  


Jisoo internally groaned at herself for her lame comeback, proceeding to face palm. She was never good at comebacks. The blonde chuckled in amusement in the small crater, causing Jisoo’s face to heat up.

  
  
  


“See how you like this, dirt girl.” 

  
  
  


The Air pulled her bicep, the strength flinging Jisoo forward who was already off guard from her embarrassment. Jisoo released her whip to prevent being dragged further, catching herself in a knelt position.

  
  
  


Without missing a beat, her hands proficiently threw daggers of air at Jisoo’s direction that were almost transparent, save for the faint flicker of particles that reflected in the sunlight. Jisoo made way to dodge the incoming barrage of knives that whistled past her, with a few coming mere inches away from her nose – so close that she could feel the wind kiss her skin.

  
  
  


In the midst of the barrage, Jisoo’s foot was caught by a force of air. She tripped and face planted into the ground, groaning in pain and clutching her nose that absorbed most of the rough landing.

  
  
  


She tried to push herself back on her feet, but a swift kick to her side knocked her down again. Jisoo coughed from the breath that was kicked out her lungs, rolling on her back to look up at the sky and the silhouette of the Air hovering above her.

  
  
  


Jisoo’s mind was fuzzy, but she tried to swing a blind punch. The latter effortlessly grasped both of Jisoo’s wrists and pinned them above her head, earning a grunt from the Earth girl.

  
  
  


“Already done?” She crowed, the ends of her lips curling upward in a mocking smile. 

  
  
  


Jisoo huffed and wiggled, trying to escape from her restraint, but the girl’s weight on her held her still for the most part. The Air brought her face closer, freezing Jisoo in place from the enclosed distance. The gesture increased Jisoo’s heartbeat so drastically that she wondered if the latter could hear it.

  
  
  


“You still have some fighting spirit in you?” The Air cocked her head, stormy eyes dancing with amusement that studied the face of the girl below her. “Show me what else you got, dirt girl.”

  
  
  


Jisoo frowned at the girl’s jeers, a low growl emitting from her throat. _She will not go down this easily._

  
  
  


“You’re kind of cute when you pout.” The girl cooed, making Jisoo flustered from the swing of emotions. “I don’t remember the Earth tribe making girls like you.”

  
  
  


_What is she trying to do?_ Jisoo’s ears burned with a dust of pink on her cheeks. While their locked eyes held steady, Jisoo was concentrating on calling the tree beside her. 

  
  
  


Her tips of her fingers tingled until she could see the vine that hovered over the Air’s shoulder before hooking itself around her slim waist. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as she was pulled off Jisoo and pressed against the neighboring tree trunk.

  
  
  


“That’s what I got.” Jisoo grinned, dusting her hands off after standing up. 

  
  
  


The cat eyed girl gripped and clawed at the vines, struggling to loosen the grasp. Jisoo placed her hands on her hips triumphantly.

  
  
  


“Show me what else _you_ have, wind jerk.” Jisoo returned the taunt with glee.

  
  
  


Jisoo was so caught up in her own victory that she didn’t notice the Air turning a bit purple. She pointed and poked at the vines wrapped around her waist in an attempt to catch Jisoo’s attention.

  
  
  


“I… can’t… breathe-” She panted, her pupils dilating from the lack of air.

  
  
  


“Oh no!” Jisoo fretted. She ran to unravel the vines that responded to her will, allowing the restraint to fall apart easier. The girl collapsed into Jisoo’s arms, sputtering and coughing.

  
  
  


“Are you okay?” Jisoo queried, bringing the girl up to her eye level to observe her state. Her head lolled around, but her original peach complexion was returning, washing off the purple.

  
  
  


The Air’s eyes fluttered open and fell on Jisoo’s concerned ones. If it wasn’t for the feeling of the light breaths from the girl, Jisoo wouldn’t have realized how close the two’s faces actually were. Without a thought, her eyes flick briefly to the girl’s parted lips.

  
  
  


In panic, Jisoo dropped the girl that barely caught herself from the sudden release. Her face was red and her heart erratically pounded against her chest. She shook her head hard to shake the image of the lips from her mind, along with another thought related to it – one she never would have imagined.

  
  
  


“I’m sorry!” Jisoo stammered with her hands up in a surrender. “I wasn’t going to kill you! I swear!”

  
  
  


The Air stretched her arms, flexing her toned muscles. She regarded Jisoo with an impressed look.

  
  
  


“That was a good fight.” She smiled, much to Jisoo’s surprise. She had a scowl on her face the whole fight, but when she smiled, she looked beautiful. Especially when her right eye appeared smaller than the left. 

  
  
  


Jisoo was speechless from her discovery, so she held her hand out awkwardly instead. The typical Jisoo mannerism.

  
  
  


“Friends?” Jisoo chirped eagerly, wiggling her fingers to coax the other to shake it.

  
  
  


The Air eyed her outstretched hand skeptically, gears grinding in her brain, before clasping it with hers. “Sure.” 

  
  
  


Jisoo felt a small spark emit from the contact, a spark that traveled like wildfire through her arms and right into her heart. It felt good and the feeling caused a heart shaped smile to form on Jisoo’s face.

  
  
  


“I’m Jisoo. From the Earth tribe.”

  
  
  


“I’m Jennie. From the Air tribe.”

  
  
  


“Jennie.” Jisoo echoed, the name rolling naturally off her tongue and tasted like honey. “The name suits you.”

  
  
  


Jennie tilted her head playfully, as if to feign innocence. “What does that mean?”

  
  
  


Jisoo felt her cheeks flush again, her hands quickly coming up to cover them before the latter could see. _Stupid Jisoo, speaking before thinking!_

  
  
  


“Nothing!” Jisoo exclaimed, flashing an awkward smile to mask her nervousness. “I think it’s a beautiful name.”

  
  
  


Jennie’s cat eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in a profound interest. The ends of her lips tugged. “Same for you, Jisoo.”

  
  
  


Four simple words made Jisoo giddy and her heart skip a few beats. The familiar flutter of butterflies that she had experienced before made its return. _Was it because she made a new friend, or was it something else?_

  
  
  


Jennie checked Jisoo up and down and did a small salute with two fingers. “Until we meet again, _friend_.” She winked before summoning winds that carried her off her feet and over the forest. Jisoo’s eyes followed her two toned head until she disappeared amongst the trees, returning the forest to its usual peaceful state.

  
  
  


Jisoo felt a light tap on her toe. She looked down and found Rabbit looking up at her with beady eyes.

  
  
  


“You survived!” Jisoo chimed, scooping the tortoise up with both her hands. She held him up to her face and beamed.

  
  
  


“I think I made a new friend, Rabbit.”


	2. |II| Blithe

From that day on, Jennie was always on Jisoo’s mind.

  
  
  


The thought of the Air girl brought excitement to Jisoo’s day whenever she passed by the forest, specifically the clearing where they met. With a giddy heart, she would always push past that towering bush to check if Jennie was meditating there again. 

  
  
  


However, it’s been a while since Jisoo last saw her.

  
  
  


As days passed by, the Earth girl’s spark dwindled everytime she was met with an empty field. She decided to check it one last time.

  
  
  


“Do you think Jennie will ever come back?” Jisoo sighed heavily, glancing at the tortoise perched on her shoulder.

  
  
  


Rabbit simply regarded her with remorseful eyes. Despite the simplicity, he was a very expressive tortoise.

  
  
  


With a heavy heart, the raven haired girl bounded into the clearing. The shallow crater that she slammed Jennie on was recovering into its natural leveled state, but the shape was distinct. She knelt down and laid at the spot, facing up to the blue sky. 

  
  
  


She reached out to it, the warm sun streaming through her slender fingers.  _ Where are you? _ The question seemed to linger in the air, wisped away by the calm breeze.

  
  
  


“She’ll come back. I believe her.” Jisoo said, more to herself than Rabbit. The last flicker of hope was weak, but she was willing to cling onto anything.

  
  
  


The girl trudged back to her village a lot slower than usual. Her village was in a clearing in the midst of the forest, with small hills spotted with huts, wells, paths, spots for cooking, and more infrastructure. Being in the middle of the day, the inhabitants were bustling around doing their assigned jobs and routines.

  
  
  


“Were you out to find the Waddle Worm again?” Seulgi queried once Jisoo stepped foot into their small hut located near the border of the village.

  
  
  


Jisoo shrugged bleakley, head still down. “You could say that.”

  
  
  


Seulgi tracked the younger girl carefully as she dragged herself to one of two mattresses on the floor and flopped on it. Rabbit bounced off, thankfully landing on the soft cushion safely. He shot Jisoo a dirty look, the dirtiest a tortoise could show.

  
  
  


“I made you your favorite food.” Seulgi announced, lips tugging when she witnessed the girl’s head perk up instantly.

  
  
  


“Chicken?” Jisoo exclaimed, eyes already brightened from the thought of it. 

  
  
  


“The one and only.” The older girl grinned, bringing out a clay bowl with fried chicken.

  
  
  


“What’s the occasion?” Jisoo asked, hastily grabbing a thigh and sinking her teeth into it with no hesitation. She hummed happily and patted her stomach. The Earth tribe didn’t eat meat that often, and the occasions they do were for important days such as holidays.

  
  
  


“You look down lately. I thought this would cheer you up.” Seulgi smiled, ruffling her sister’s hair.

  
  
  


Jisoo’s satisfied grin faltered at the reminder of the past days, along with a pang in her chest. However, she masked it with crescents as she continued to eat, hoping Seulgi wouldn’t pester her about it. She was protective like that.

  
  
  


Jisoo’s eyes trained on the chicken intently, very wary of Seulgi’s curious ones lingering. Finally, the older girl stood up from the stool and broke her gaze.

  
  
  


“I have to do an errand with Sooyoung.” Seulgi said over her shoulder as she made her way to the door. “Clean up after and see you at dinner!”

  
  
  


When the door closed, Jisoo relaxed her shoulders that she didn’t realize were tense. The chicken eased her troubled heart and she forgot about her turmoil surrounding the Air girl for a moment.

  
  
  


~

  
  
  


Dinner in the village was communal. The dining area was in the middle of it, a large space littered with campfires, logs, and tables. The mood was joyous with flutes, drums, and more being played for entertainment, filling the air with heartened vibes. A few people danced around the fire whose smoke reached high into the clear night sky.

  
  
  


Jisoo sat at the same table as Seulgi, Sooyoung, and Yeri. Sooyoung and Yeri were the infamous trouble makers in the village, always pulling pranks and whatnot. At the dinner table, they would’ve done worse if Seulgi wasn’t present to keep them in check.

  
  
  


“Want to race to see who’ll finish this apple first?” Sooyoung challenged Yeri, waving the red fruit in her face in a taunting manner.

  
  
  


“You’re on.” Yeri grinned with an ambitious spark in her orbs.

  
  
  


Before the two girls could begin chowing down on their apples, Seulgi slapped their foreheads from across the table, instigating groans of pain.

  
  
  


“Eat your food.” Seulgi chided, pointing her chopsticks accusingly at each of them. “I’ll kill you before you both die from choking.”

  
  
  


Jisoo snorted when they pouted and obediently returned to eating peacefully. She’ll never know how her older sister could keep reins on the two rowdy girls.

  
  
  


By the end of the night, Jisoo’s stomach was full and her spirits soared from the music and dancing. As her and Seulgi made their way home, she was skipping on the balls of her feet.

  
  
  


“You have berry duty tomorrow morning, right?” Seulgi yawned while cleaning up in the bathroom.

  
  
  


“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” Jisoo groaned, the mere mention of chores dampening her spirits.

  
  
  


Seulgi chuckled. “Get a good night’s sleep.”

  
  
  


As Jisoo laid on the mattress, she found herself restless, even after relentless attempts of squeezing her eyes shut and counting sheep. Tossing and turning, she stared at the leaf ceiling and heaved a sigh.

  
  
  


It was a quiet night at most, the only exception being Seulgi’s light snores beside her. Jisoo nonchalantly observed the moonlight that streamed through their window that illuminated their room.

  
  
  


Then, she saw a shadow flash by.

  
  
  


Her alertness heightened at the oddness. She pushed herself to a sitting position and whipped her head to the window. No one was there. Only the view of grass blades and a neighboring hut, very much asleep.

  
  
  


Instantaneously, a strong breeze blew through the window, contrary to its usual stillness. 

  
  
  


It was familiar.

  
  
  


Jisoo eyed Seulgi, eyebrows stitched with contemplation on her next course of action. Her hand waved in front of the older girl’s eyes, the lack of reaction confirming she was in a deep sleep. Gingerly, she pushed aside her covers and stood up, trying her best to stay silent.

  
  
  


Jisoo also checked up on Rabbit who resided in his glass tank in his rock house. She knew he would never snitch her out, but she had to make sure he was asleep too.

  
  
  


Finally, her feet trailed to the door that she opened carefully, closing it behind her with the same care.

  
  
  


The night air was cool, not warm nor cold, like a stalemate. The ends of her hair picked up the breeze, but it was very slight. She plucked a blade of grass from underneath her and held it high in the air. It told the direction of the wind much better.

  
  
  


Jisoo trodden to where the wind carried her with the singular blade of grass as a compass. She made sure to dodge the views of the nightly scouts on duty – ducking and hiding behind various huts and structures. It led her to the outskirts of the village that made her hesitate.

  
  
  


_ Should I go?  _ Jisoo furrowed her eyebrows in thought as millions of fears and doubts surged her mind.  _ What if I get in trouble? What if I get kidnapped? What if I die? _

  
  
  


The breeze picked up a little more urgently, as if it sensed the Earth girl’s hesitation, egging her to continue. 

  
  
  


Despite the consequences that Jisoo could think of, that flicker of hope – the same one the past days – fueled in her heart. The wind had to be her.

  
  
  


_ Okay, you can do this. _ Jisoo internally cheered herself on, tightening her fists in determination before delving into the woods.

  
  
  


The fertile dirt underneath her soles was a tad bit colder from the night as opposed from the daytime. Along with that contrast, the birds and animals were sleeping, casting the forest into a tranquil slumber as opposed to its lively counterpart in the day.

  
  
  


Jisoo quickened her pace as her courage heightened with that profound hope. Her focus was so intent on the grass blade that she didn’t watch her surroundings, almost tripping over a root protruding from the ground.

  
  
  


Finally, she had broken into a clearing that led to a cliff overlooking the sea.

  
  
  


Her eyes jumped from the blade to the back of a head, one with two toned hair: jet black in the back and blonde in the front. The girl was leant back with her hands behind her, and her feet tapped in a slow rhythm that seemed to match the lapping of the waves below.

  
  
  


“Jennie?” Jisoo whispered, heart thumping that failed to contain her elation.

  
  
  


The Air girl looked over her shoulder and flashed her gummy smile. “Dirt girl! I’m glad you found your way here.”

  
  
  


The nickname didn’t faze the astonished girl. Jisoo’s eyes never left Jennie’s as she inched closer, even when she finally sat down beside her, like the girl would disappear if she looked away for a second. Her mouth gaped open in the midst of her disbelief.

  
  
  


“You might eat a fly.” Jennie chuckled, her finger lifting Jisoo’s dropped chin to clasp her mouth shut.

  
  
  


“I was worried that ....”  _ That you forgot about me. _ The words weren’t vocalized, but the implication was evident.

  
  
  


Jennie’s gleeful orbs faltered at the latter’s dejected expression. 

  
  
  


“Never that.” She clicked her tongue and waved her finger. “It’s strange, really. I met you one time, but that one time was enough to get you stuck in my mind. You‘re like… an infatuation.”

  
  
  


The confession enticed a bashful smile from the latter, to which Jennie chuckled in amusement. “It was hard figuring out a plan to see you, especially with the strictness of my tribe, you know?”

  
  
  


Jisoo softened at the explanation that dissolved her doubt. Jennie smiled in relief for easing the girl’s troubles.

  
  
  


“Not even when you go meditating? I went to check on your meditating spot everyday to find you.”

  
  
  


“You have?” Jennie raised her eyebrows, flattered by the girl’s tenacity. “That was for a test. That day was my last day I could go work on channeling my energy.”

  
  
  


Jisoo wiped her forehead with the back of her hand humorously. “Whew! Glad I stumbled upon you then.”

  
  
  


Jennie threw her head back in laughter that infected Jisoo to laugh along as well. 

  
  
  


“I’m glad too.” She finally said with a soft smile.

  
  
  


There was a small pause between them, but it was comfortable. Jisoo wasn’t the type to click with people easily, but with Jennie, it was different. She felt like she knew her forever despite the short span of time.

  
  
  


Along with the small pause, it allowed Jisoo to appraise the Air girl from their last meet. This time, her face was clear of any red streaks, the moonlight illuminating her peach complexion. The hair that was tied up in a bun tumbled over her shoulders, along with a slightly messy fringe added to her pureness. Jisoo couldn’t help but stare at her cat eyes, the most notable feature of Jennie. Cat eyes whose storm gray hue matched the reflection of the moonlight.

  
  
  


“With the busy schedules in the daytime,” Jennie continued, breaking their locked eyes to the sea, “I figured nighttime would be the best time to see you. No interruptions, just us two.”

  
  
  


The idea sounded marvelous to Jisoo.

  
  
  


“That sounds good.” Jisoo piped, jumping with giddiness from the thought of more opportunities to see Jennie. “At this spot?”

  
  
  


“Yep. Isn’t the ocean beautiful?”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s eyes trailed from the girl to the blue sea that twinkled and shined under the moon. The moon was so bright it had a clear reflection in the water. The distinct salty smell tickled her nose, very different from the smell of nature that was her home. Jisoo could understand why this view was fascinating to Jennie.

  
  
  


“I wonder how it would be like to be a Water member.” Jennie hummed. “The mountain view gets boring.”

  
  
  


“Isn’t it amazing up there?” Jisoo queried, the remark posing her interest in their differing lifestyles. “You can see everything.”

  
  
  


“I guess you can, but seeing and experiencing is very different.” Jennie’s fingers ran through the grass between them that parted in her wake. “Here, I can feel the cool grass and soft dirt. Here, I can feel and smell the ocean breeze. Up there, I can see all of these, but I can never touch them from up there. These are paintings from the mountains. Beautiful, but I could only look.”

  
  
  


Jisoo noted the wistful glint in the girl’s eyes when watching her hand brush the blades. A few strands of hair fell on her face due to the dip of her head, enticing an urge for Jisoo to brush them out of the way.

  
  
  


“Also, it’s very dry up there.” Jennie wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Very different to down here, where it’s crisp and fresh.”

  
  
  


The Earth girl inched her fingers toward the Air’s. Her fingers took her thumb first before her palm rested entirely on the back of her hand. The gesture fueled an ember of warmth at the contact.

  
  
  


“I hope I can help you.” Jisoo breathed with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be a good friend.”

  
  
  


Her next instinct was to brush those stray strands of blonde hair, but she was breathless to find that the ocean breeze had blown them aside for her, revealing that ethereal round face that exchanged her smile.

  
  
  


“Thank you, Jisoo.” Jennie turned her palm up from under Jisoo’s, entwining their slender fingers together in a smooth motion. “I hope I’ll be a good friend too.”

  
  
  


To that, Jisoo beamed a smile that reached ear to ear.


	3. |III| Wish

From that night on, Jisoo and Jennie met up in secret every night.

  
  
  


Jisoo found it hard to leave Jennie, even when the moon sank underneath the waves to leave room for the break of dawn. The feeling was mutual when the two girls insist on staying with each other for a few more minutes every time. The Earth girl felt like she could talk to the Air girl for forever – their conversation always flowed and never ceased. If it were to cease, it would cease into that comfortable silence that she loved.

  
  
  


Oddly, their conversations were more trivial with questions aimed to know more about each other — things like their favorite color and food.

  
  
  


Albeit learning the bare minimum of Jennie through these surface leveled queries, Jisoo felt their bond strengthen. She wondered if the latter felt the same.

  
  
  


“Have you ever touched the sea?”

  
  
  


“A few times. Whenever I get the chance to come down from the mountains.”

  
  
  


The two girls were laid on their stomachs, chin rested on their palms and admiring the sea that had become their commonplace. Jisoo was swinging her legs in the air and mindlessly playing with the grass — unaware of cat eyes on her.

  
  
  


“I’ve never touched the sea. Only freshwater.”

  
  
  


“Really? I thought you would by now, since you’re nearby.”

  
  
  


“I never thought about the ocean that much.”

  
  
  


_ Until I met you. _

  
  
  


Jisoo’s eyes jumped from the grass to Jennie’s who turned away at the same instant. The girl hummed in thought.

  
  
  


“Do you want to go down there for a second? I’ll show you.”

  
  
  


Heart shaped lips flashed a grin at the proposal. 

  
  
  


“Yeah!” The raven haired girl exclaimed, jumping straight up from her spot.

  
  
  


Jennie chuckled and followed suit. “Hold on to me tightly, okay? Like this.”

  
  
  


When the Air girl touched Jisoo’s arm, the same wave of heat instigated up her neck despite the numerous times that they touched before. She guided her arm to her shoulders to wrap it around, the gesture pulling them closer together.

  
  
  


“You got it?” Jennie breathed, their faces inches apart.

  
  
  


Jisoo could only nod weakly under those storm gray eyes.

  
  
  


Jennie flashed a grin and bent down to swing her off her feet, earning a yelp of surprise from the suddenness.

  
  
  


“Ah!” Jisoo screamed, hugging her carrier tighter and digging her face into the nape of her neck.

  
  
  


“Relax.” Jennie laughed, the vibrations from her throat tickling Jisoo. “We’re still on the ground.”

  
  
  


Jisoo slowly peeled herself off to meet an amused expression. Her face heated from embarrassment at her overreaction.

  
  
  


“You’re scared of heights, dirt girl?”

  
  
  


“W-well—“ She stammered, very much flustered from the teasing smirk. “When you spend your whole life on the ground, it’s scary to be anywhere else…”

  
  
  


Jisoo squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation for another tease, but only met another lighthearted laugh, making her peek at a cheerful gummy smile.

  
  
  


“Did I already tell you how adorable you are when you pout?” Jennie cooed, tapping the tip of her nose playfully. “Don’t worry. I’ll take it slow.”

  
  
  


Jisoo relaxed in her arms. The way Jennie cradled her made her feel safe and snug. The revelation enticed a small smile.

  
  
  


She felt them leave the ground below them. The elevation evoked her to tighten her arms around Jennie and clamp her eyes shut.

  
  
  


“We’re a few feet off the ground. Try to breathe normally.”

  
  
  


Jennie’s voice soothed her heart that she didn’t notice was erratically beating, along with rapid breathing. She felt the wind kiss her skin as they ascended.

  
  
  


“Look at me, Jisoo.”

  
  
  


Reluctantly, the raven haired girl opened her eyes to meet the Air’s amused gaze. Jennie’s hair was blown behind her in the drift, showcasing her divine features accentuated by the moonlight. The sight gave Jisoo a sense of comfort, like they were in their own personal bubble.

  
  
  


Jennie cracked a small smile. “It isn’t that bad, right? Do you want to see what I see?”

  
  
  


Jisoo gulped, orbs glued onto Jennie like her life depended on it. She shook her head meekly, enticing a chuckle from the latter.

  
  
  


“Try to take a look. I promise I have you. You’re safe with me.”

  
  
  


With much hesitancy, Jisoo finally tore her eyes from Jennie. Her head shifted away from her to face the overview of the magical forest.

  
  
  


“Wow.” Jisoo said under her breath. Her orbs darted all around, digesting the mass canopy of trees, the aerial scenery of the ocean, the shadows of the towering mountains in the distance, and the distinct huts she identified as her village. 

  
  
  


It was a perspective she had never seen before – one through the Air’s eyes. 

  
  
  


“Very different, right?” Jennie queried, studying Jisoo’s awed expression with a soft smile.

  
  
  


“Yeah…” She exhaled, letting the breeze drift through her fingertips, enticing a wiggle from the alien experience.

  
  
  


Jisoo felt herself dip down from their stationary position, ducking below the cliff they occupied before toward the escarpment of sand. Once Jennie landed on the soft surface, she crouched to gently lower Jisoo onto her feet.

  
  
  


The sand felt like soil, but her toes sunk further in. She stumbled slightly from the unfamiliarity, but a swift hand held her upright by the arm.

  
  
  


“Are you okay?” Jennie’s melodious laugh was slightly overpowered by the crashing of waves on the rocks ahead of them.

  
  
  


Jisoo’s ears turned pink from her clumsiness. “I’m not used to sand.” She replied meekly.

  
  
  


Jennie snickered before leading Jisoo closer to the sea. The water snaked up the coastline, basking their toes in the ice cold liquid.

  
  
  


Jisoo felt the hand holding her slip from its grasp. Before she could process where the girl went, a splash of water barraged her clothes.

  
  
  


“Jennie! That’s cold!” Jisoo exclaimed, palms out to protect herself from the next splash.

  
  
  


The blonde giggled and bounced off, a playful smirk challenging her.

  
  
  


Jisoo recovered from her shocked state and broke into a wide grin. “You’re asking for it!” 

  
  
  


Dulcet giggles of the two youths resonated with the rocking of sea as they chased each other around the small beach. Jennie frolicked gracefully, dodging all of Jisoo’s attacks, whereas Jisoo stumbled clumsily against the environment. 

  
  
  


“Come back here—“ Jisoo’s voice was cut short when the slimy texture of seaweed wrapped around her ankle, sending her tumbling down. “Ah!”

  
  
  


Before she received a face full of saltwater, a swift drift brewed and Jennie appeared before her, catching her by the waist. 

  
  
  


“You’re so clumsy.” The Air chided. 

  
  
  


Jisoo grimaced from shame. 

  
  
  


“I couldn’t see.” She responded dumbly. “It’s in the water.”

  
  
  


“Be more careful, alright? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Jennie’s expression was full of sincerity, and the look made Jisoo flush and heart flutter.

  
  
  


“Uh, okay.” She said dumbly once again. Something about the Air girl clogged her mind of basic dialogue skills — basically tongue tied.

  
  
  


The arm wrapped around her waist ceased, but the space between them didn’t. Another roar of waves on rock sent a breeze that blew Jennie’s locks out of her face, a sight that always took her breath away.

  
  
  


“I wish it was day.” Jisoo said over the sea. “I want to show you around the forest.”

  
  
  


Jennie lifted her finger to the Earth girl’s face, brushing a trail along the moles that made Jisoo’s lids flutter. Jennie’s gaze was focused, like she was memorizing the latter’s features.

  
  
  


“It’s okay. This is enough. You’re more than enough. I don’t need a forest when I have you.”

  
  
  


“But I want to show you, like how you showed me the sea.”

  
  
  


Jennie cracked a small, wistful smile.

  
  
  


“One day.”

  
  
  


Jisoo gave a small nod of understanding.

  
  
  


“One day.”

  
  
  


A moment passed between them that let the two soak in the bittersweet revelation. Jisoo’s heart began to pang, but she wasn’t ready to let the fun die down quite yet.

  
  
  


She flashed a mischievous smirk before drenching Jennie with a kick of saltwater. She stuck her tongue out before dashing away from the enraged Air.

  
  
  


“JISOO!” 

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


Despite the following morning’s chores and duties, Jisoo was elated everytime she snuck out of her hut to follow the memorized path to the discreet cliffs. Everyone found it odd that Jisoo was doing her job energetically with a smile on her face, contrary to the reluctant girl from before. They didn’t mind, since she now finished her work faster.

  
  
  


“Have you been getting enough sleep, Jisoo?” Seulgi asked with concern. “Your eyebags are getting darker.”

  
  
  


Jisoo, spaced out, snapped back at the call of her name. They were eating lunch on a small log that served as a bench outside their hut. The bowl of kimbap on her lap remained forgotten in her trance.

  
  
  


“I’ve been a little restless.” Jisoo flashed a reassuring smile, hoping to throw off her sister’s suspicion. “Don’t worry about it, unnie.”

  
  
  


Seulgi stitched her eyebrows. “Make sure you’re sleeping well. Work is tiring and you don’t want your body to get damaged from that. I’ll ask Bobby for some incense to help you sleep better.”

  
  
  


Jisoo could only nod along as the worry of a new obstacle rose.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


“Bobby said this is an incense for sleeping.” Seulgi said as she placed down the green pot with wisps of mist escaping through its holes. “You’ll sleep in no time.”

  
  
  


Jisoo, who laid on her mattress, flashed an awkward smile. “Great.” She gritted through her teeth.

  
  
  


That night was more tense than before. Jisoo was uncertain if Seulgi was aware that she was awake. The girl would certainly notice if she snuck out now that she knew Jisoo wasn’t sleeping well.

  
  
  


The incense smelled nice, like fresh plants. It almost lulled the raven haired girl to sleep, but she resisted the urge of her eyelids to close, biding her time to sneak out.

  
  
  


She felt the familiar breeze through the window again. This time it wavered, like it was questioning where she was.

  
  
  


_ I’ll be a little late Jennie.  _ Jisoo wanted to whisper into the wind as if it could carry the message to its bearer.  _ Please wait. _

  
  
  


Jisoo listened to the light snores of Seulgi, mind whirring to decide if it was the right time or not. Her hand waved in front of the bear like girl’s eyes. There was no shift.

  
  
  


Jisoo counted a few sheep before deciding the time was right to move. As usual, she silently glided to the door. Before her hand reached for the handle, she jerked with realization.

  
  
  


She had almost forgotten the gift she prepared for Jennie.

  
  
  


The small box made of weaved twigs sat underneath her pillow. It was a little messy, since Jisoo wasn’t talented at the skill, but it retained its shape and usage well, which was enough for her. Seulgi grumbled something in her sleep, instilling fear that paralyzed Jisoo, but she relaxed when the older girl continued snoring.

  
  
  


Now with the gift in her hands, Jisoo practically skipped to the cliffs.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


“I thought you weren’t going to come.” Jennie said when the Earth girl stepped out of the woods and into the clearing.

  
  
  


“I’m sorry.” Jisoo said apologetically. “My sister found out I haven’t been sleeping well and I was afraid she would catch me tonight.”

  
  
  


Jennie nodded understandingly. “My leader too. I’ve been taking more naps in the afternoon than I should.” She chuckled lightheartedly.

  
  
  


“Do you have sisters?” Jisoo asked as she took her usual spot beside the Air girl.

  
  
  


Jennie shook her head, the soft locks swaying. “Only child.”

  
  
  


“Oh.”

  
  
  


Jisoo wanted to learn more about Jennie, but the topic at hand seemed uneasy, considering there was a small furrow between her eyebrows. She decided to change the subject to save the mood.

  
  
  


“I brought you a present.”

  
  
  


Jennie’s expression brightened when Jisoo held out the box in her palm. She took it graciously.

  
  
  


“You’re so kind.” Jennie grinned, eyes twinkling with joy. “I didn’t bring you anything, though.”

  
  
  


“It’s okay. I had leftovers of plants from berry picking, so I thought I might as well make something for you.” Jisoo puffed her chest proudly.

  
  
  


Jennie giggled and bumped her side playfully. “So romantic.”

  
  
  


Jisoo fought the burning sensation rising to her cheeks, but the latter was too occupied with admiring the gift that she wouldn’t have noticed. Jisoo worried her lip in anticipation as the box was opened.

  
  
  


Jennie gasped, eyes lit up and mouth agape. Jisoo suddenly became nervous when the girl took out the object within it: a ring made of strong green fiber, decorated with white petals of the Moonglow flower, and etched blockly were the letters  _ JJ _ 4 _ EVA _ .

  
  
  


“I’m not the best at crafting.” Jisoo began to ramble, her nervousness getting the best of her. “It was a bit hard to get the shape, and the ring was so tiny that –”

  
  
  


“I love it.”

  
  
  


The revelation stole the rest of Jisoo’s rambling away. Jennie continued to marvel in admiration of her work.

  
  
  


“Really?”

  
  
  


“Yes. It’s beautiful.” Jennie glanced at Jisoo’s dumbstruck expression with glee dancing in her gray orbs. “You even got the size correct.” She observed when sticking the ring around her engagement finger, wiggling it against the stream of moonlight.

  
  
  


“It was easy, since we hold hands a lot.” Jisoo said bashfully. “And your fingers are similar to mine, so I used my fingers for reference too.” She quickly added, blushing at the realization of what she said before.

  
  
  


Jennie cocked her eyebrows, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her plump lips. “We’re like a married couple now.” She took Jisoo’s hand in hers and held it against her chest. “I do!” She cried dramatically.

  
  
  


Jisoo laughed at her silliness, heat rising to her cheeks. “One day.” The raven haired girl chuckled, pushing Jennie’s chest playfully.

  
  
  


“I would totally marry you. I wish that our tribes were friends so that we can do that.”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s smile faltered at the realization of the reality. In the midst of the joy that every night brought, she had forgotten why they had to meet in secret in the first place. The reason being that the tribes were uneasy with each other — no trust at all. Everyone lived in isolated societies.

  
  
  


That knowledge made the Air girl even more compelling, the way two girls of enemy tribes could become good friends with each other. _ Why can’t the world be like them? _

  
  
  


“I’ll make sure to make a ring for you too.” Jennie proposed, squeezing Jisoo’s hand lightly. “So we can match.”

  
  
  


“I’d like that.”

  
  
  


Jennie laid down on her back, her hair fanning onto the green surface. Jisoo followed suit in silence, adjusting herself accordingly so that their arms pressed together. The grass tickled the nape of Jisoo’s neck, but it didn’t bother her too much. The only thing on her mind at the moment was the girl beside her.

  
  
  


“I wonder if we can touch the stars.” Jennie said from under her breath, hand reaching up to the sky. “They seem so far away.”

  
  
  


“Can’t you fly up there?” 

  
  
  


“I’ve tried, but not even the most powerful Air members can reach that high. It’s impossible.”

  
  
  


Jisoo shifted to face Jennie who observed the night sky wistfully. The stars reflected upon her orbs that made them shine and shimmer. Her lips were slightly parted, releasing light breaths that matched the slow rising of her chest.

  
  
  


The Air girl was serene. Jisoo wondered why her elders had warned everyone that the Air tribe was dangerous.  _ They obviously never met Jennie. _

  
  
  


Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know much about the world or its history. The epiphany nagged her.

  
  
  


“Nothing is impossible.” Jisoo’s hand snaked its way to Jennie’s toned stomach, its palm resting upon it gingerly. The latter cupped her tiny ones over the back, nails grazing the skin in lazy spirals. “One day it’ll happen. One day we can do it and touch the stars.”

  
  
  


“You’re too optimistic for your own good.” Jennie chuckled bitterly. “It’s always the same cycle of hate. Everyone is too focused on hate that they’re blinded by the beauty the world could give. Their hate overcomes the possibilities they can achieve if they loved. Like touching the stars.”

  
  
  
  
  


Jisoo frowned at the girl’s negative attitude. The effect wavered her positive one, but Jennie wasn’t negative on purpose. It was simply… the truth.

  
  
  


“One day.” Jisoo murmured.

  
  
  


A light squeeze on her hand.

  
  
  


“One day.” Jennie echoed.


	4. |IV| Yen

“Unnie.”

  
  
  


“Yes?”

  
  
  


The two sisters were doing their weekly laundry. Seulgi, whose sleeves were rolled up to her elbow, was scrubbing and wringing their clothes in the soapy bucket diligently. She faltered when Jisoo remained silent in thought.

  
  
  


“What is it, Jisoo?”

  
  
  


Jisoo probed her own bucket for a moment, scooping up soap nonchalantly while choosing her next words carefully.

  
  
  


“Why… don’t we ever talk to the other tribes?”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s eyes were trained on the floating bubbles, but she could sense Seulgi’s keen gaze that made her tense up. The older girl always had that effect on her.

  
  
  


“Why do you ask that? You know the answer.”

  
  
  


It was always the same response as if Seulgi expected Jisoo to know — like it was common sense. Frankly, she couldn’t understand why, and a certain Air girl was the reason.

  
  
  


“What if they’re friendly?” Jisoo spoke hesitantly, treading on thin ice. “We’ll never know if we don’t talk to them.”

  
  
  


From her peripheral, she saw Seulgi wring out the water of the last pair of pants and throw it into the pile of finished ones a little too aggressively. 

  
  
  


“Have you been paying attention in class?” Seulgi chuckled, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She knocked on the back of Jisoo’s head playfully, emitting a yelp from the younger girl. “Don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping through them.”

  
  
  


Jisoo pouted from being caught red handed. The evident guilt made the latter chortle again.

  
  
  


“Go study your history again. Maybe Gong Yoo can tutor you.”

  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  


Gong Yoo, the village’s Elder, lived in the biggest hut in their valley. Not only did it serve as his abode, it also served as a library and education center, explaining the drastic difference in size compared to the other huts.

  
  
  


After finishing her day’s chores, Jisoo trudged to her destination in order to fulfill that nagging in the back of her mind. She knocked on the paneled door thrice before it opened.

  
  
  


“Ah, Miss Kim.” The older man greeted upon opening the door. He was dressed in gray robes and his black bangs curtained his forehead. “What brings you here in this lovely afternoon?”

  
  
  


Gong Yoo’s crinkled eyes twinkled with curiosity. It was not often that the youths of the village would come visit the library out of all places.

  
  
  


“I wanted to ask something.” Jisoo said.

  
  
  


“Does this  _ something _ require coming in?”

  
  
  


Jisoo debated before nodding firmly. Gong Yoo stepped aside to allow her in.

  
  
  


“I’ll get us a cup of tea while you get seated.”

  
  
  


Jisoo strolled to the lounge with cushions situated around a round low table. She sat and drummed her fingers on the wood, observing the interior of the place. There were several bookshelves lined against the walls along with spines of many colors within them. The books all looked ancient. 

  
  
  


Gong Yoo returned from around the corner with two cups in his big hands. He set one in front of Jisoo before taking a seat across from her.

  
  
  


“Thank you, Elder.” Jisoo bowed her head graciously.

  
  
  


“What is it that you want to ask?”

  
  
  


A second thought interrupted Jisoo’s mind.  _ Was it dumb to ask this? _ Everyone seemed to have understood it quickly, whereas she was three steps behind them.  _ Why was she in such denial? _

  
  
  


“I just wondered…” Jisoo trailed off, a little uneasy from the Elder’s gaze that seemed to pierce right through her. He was a man of much intellect, so it seemed plausible he already knew why she was here. “... well I have this thought…”

  
  
  


“What is it?” Gong Yoo coaxed gently.

  
  
  


Jisoo swallowed down her hesitancy. “Why aren’t the tribes friends?”

  
  
  


The question lingered as the Elder stroked his chin in thought. Jisoo, who was nervous at first, was now filled with profound courage once she was able to utter her wonder. 

  
  
  


“That’s a great question.” Gong Yoo began. “The world would be a lot nicer if all the tribes were united, right?”

  
  
  


The rhetorical question made the girl frown. “Of course.” She said, like it was the most obvious deduction.

  
  
  


“What makes history unique is that we can learn from it. You would think that everyone can learn from their mistakes when we have the privilege of history at our disposal.”

  
  
  


Jisoo wasn’t quite sure what he was getting at.

  
  
  


“That is exactly the problem. No one learned from their mistakes during the days of unity.” Gong Yoo clicked his tongue in distaste. “When the tribes were centralized, war ensued almost every decade over disagreements. Even trivial ones. You’re probably wondering why everyone couldn’t get along, right?”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s mouth was opened in the midst of forming that exact question. She just nodded silently.

  
  
  


“It’s the fact of difference. We’re all different.” Gong Yoo pointed north. “The Air tribe is not the same as,” he pointed west, “the Water tribe. Nor is the Water tribe,” he pointed south, “the same as the Fire tribe. Of course the Fire tribe,” he tapped the table, “is not the same as us, the Earth tribe.”

  
  
  


“It’s really that easy to not get along?” Jisoo muttered, eyebrows stitched. “Just because we’re in different tribes?”

  
  
  


_ But I know a girl, an Air girl, and we get along just fine. _

  
  
  


“No.” Gong Yoo said with conviction. “There can be disagreements within the tribes too. It’s not black and white, where all other tribes are our enemies. It’s human nature for us to have different beliefs, different thoughts, and different personalities. You are not the same as your sister Seulgi, right?”

  
  
  


Jisoo nodded along.

  
  
  


“That is our most precious treasure as humans, but also our biggest downfall. With the wars that happened, our ancestors have been slaughtered. Almost to the point of extinction.”

  
  
  


She recalled the times when they would visit the cemetery and their parents’ and grandparents’ graves. She was young back then — too young to understand the reality of everything — but Seulgi would always cry. The only time where she did. Also, the instances when Seulgi would address other tribes in disgust, especially the Air tribe.  _ Was she that naive to everything surrounding their tribe’s history? _ Apparently so.

  
  
  


“My parents were killed in the war?” Jisoo was barely audible, but surprisingly the old man caught it.

  
  
  


“Yes.” Gong Yoo said sympathetically. “Hyunbin fought in the war and Yejin gave birth to you shortly before her death.”

  
  
  


Seulgi was overly protective of Jisoo and now she understood why. It disheartened her that the latter never told her about their parents.  _ Then again, she never asked. _

  
  
  


The image of the world Jisoo thought she was living in, one of positivity and endless possibilities, cracked – the ugliness beginning to seep through. 

  
  
  


“So that was why all tribes mutually agreed to isolate themselves from each other.” He continued. “The grudges against one another still hold true till this day, but thankfully there are no wars now.” He paused. “Perhaps it’s for the best.”

  
  
  


_ Jennie isn’t like that at all _ . Jisoo told herself, staring at her reflection in the untouched cup of tea that had long gone cold.  _ Her and I are the same. We want unity and peace. _

  
  
  


How can two girls, barely of age, be able to achieve something as drastic as that?

  
  
  


_ Like touching the stars. Impossible.  _ Jisoo bit her lip from the bitter thought. 

  
  
  


“Thank you, Elder.” Jisoo cracked a small smile and stood up. She bowed with her hands crossed in the front. “I appreciate the hospitality too.”

  
  
  


“Of course, Miss Kim.” Gong Yoo exchanged smiles. “I’m always at your service if you have any other thoughts.”

  
  
  


No other thought was in Jisoo’s mind other than Jennie.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


That night, Jisoo was the first to arrive at the cliff.

  
  
  


It was unusual, considering the Earth girl was always met with the back of the Air girl. This time, the cliff was absent from such presence.

  
  
  


_ Late? _ Jisoo wondered while she sat, picking at the grass in front of her. Since that day Jisoo came late, the girls had a mutual understanding if one came later than expected. It didn’t ease the worry, though.

  
  
  


So Jisoo waited, watching the waves lap on the rocks below the cliff’s edge. In the horizon, she distinctly saw a dolphin hop through the horizon, with a… person riding its back?

  
  
  


_ It would be cool to ride dolphins.  _ Jisoo thought back to Jennie’s fascination with the lifestyle of a Water member.

  
  
  


Time passed painfully slowly. The aching yearning for Jennie’s warmth and comfort only added to the impatience. Jisoo scanned the sky, as if the Air would appear out of thin air.

  
  
  


Only silence followed. 

  
  
  


The history lesson from earlier that day kept nagging Jisoo’s brain. She scratched her head from frustration and internal conflict.

  
  
  


_ Jennie and I aren’t like that. We like each other. We lo— _

  
  
  


A rustle of a bush alerted her, breaking her thoughts. She stood cautiously, hands out in preparation to defend herself. A small trickle of sweat wetted her temple, along with the anxious beating of her heart as she watched the bush in anticipation.

  
  
  


After a moment, a figure stumbled out of the leaves and facepalmed into the ground.

  
  
  


“Jennie!” 

  
  
  


Jisoo ran to the fallen girl who was groaning while trying to push herself up. She reached for her arm and helped her on her feet.

  
  
  


“What happened to you?” Jisoo fretted, grabbing her chin to observe the damage upon her complexion. Her thumb brushed over her swollen lip, inspecting the nasty bruises dotting her fluffy cheeks.

  
  
  


“It’s nothing.” Jennie dismissed with a shake of her head. “Today’s training was more than I expected. Joohyun pushed me very hard.”

  
  
  


“That’s terrible.” Jisoo grumbled. “You should’ve stayed home tonight if you could barely come here in one piece. What if you didn’t make it?”

  
  
  


“But I wanted to see you.”

  
  
  


The revelation dusted pink on her cheeks. She fought the urge to exchange Jennie’s flirty smirk, frowning instead.

  
  
  


“Still, you should take care of yourself first.” Jisoo chided, darting away from her teasing eyes and swung the latter’s arm over her shoulders in support. “I know a place where you can relax.”

  
  
  


Jisoo led Jennie through the forest whose map she remembered like the back of her hand. The weight of the limping girl was heavy on her, but she persevered through it. Eventually, they broke into another clearing.

  
  
  


Instead of a grassy area, it was a mildly sized lake — hidden behind trees, vines, and bushes. There were a few lily pads floating in the water, along with a smooth rock in the middle. The few patches of moonlight through the canopy of leaves painted the still water with mystified strips of white.

  
  
  


“Woah.” Jennie breathed once she lifted her chin at their arrival. “What is this place?”

  
  
  


“I found this place when I was younger.” Jisoo explained while carrying her to the edge of the lake. “I’ve came here ever since, whenever I need to clear my head.”

  
  
  


“So it’s special.” 

  
  
  


“Yes. My lake is your cliff.”

  
  
  


Jisoo carefully sat Jennie down at the edge. The blonde dipped her feet into the body, swaying her legs to send ripples through, as the Earth girl took a seat beside her.

  
  
  


“It feels nice.” Jennie commented, a smile tugging at her lips as she observed their reflection.

  
  
  


Jisoo beamed. Her eyes trailed down to Jennie's legs that had the same pattern of bruises and scratches. Her knees seemed to suffer the most, as there were black blotches around the area.

  
  
  


“Does it hurt?” Jisoo whispered. Jennie followed her gaze to her legs.

  
  
  


She shook her head. “I’m used to it. They train us like soldiers.”

  
  
  


_ Soldiers? Why?  _ The remembrance of Gong Yoo mentioning wars itched her mind. Her lips parted to voice her thought, but it was never vocalized as a lump barricaded her throat as the latter suddenly took her shirt off.

  
  
  


“What are you _ doing _ ?” Jisoo yelped, covering her innocent eyes with her palms. “What the —“

  
  
  


“The water feels so nice. It would be a shame if I didn’t go for a swim.” She heard the other girl chime, followed by a splash of water that indicated she was in the lake.

  
  
  


“Why are you covering your eyes?” Jennie laughed, grasping Jisoo’s wrists to pry her glued palms off her lids. “You don’t like what you see?”

  
  
  


Jisoo felt extremely hot in the face. She squeezed her eyes shut albeit the removal of her hands that Jennie rested by her sides. She could feel the latter’s naked body between her legs which made her flush even more. 

  
  
  


“Jisoo. I’m in the water now, if that’ll help you open your eyes.”

  
  
  


The light squeeze on her hand relaxed her, coaxing her to crack open one lid. Through the crack, she saw Jennie in front of her in all her beauty: black and blonde locks tumbled over her bruised bare chest, sharp collar bone exposed, and cat eyes dancing with amusement.

  
  
  


Jisoo was very relieved that the rest of her body was submerged in water, or else she would’ve passed out from the difficulty of breathing.

  
  
  


“You’re very cute when you’re flustered.” Jennie teased, nail grazing her skin that sent goosebumps up her arm. “Swim with me.”

  
  
  


“B-but—“ 

  
  
  


“But…?”

  
  
  


“I—“

  
  
  


“Hmm?”

  
  
  


“You’re naked…”

  
  
  


Jennie threw her head back in laughter.

  
  
  


“We’re both girls. We have the same body, right? There’s nothing different between us.”

  
  
  


_ It’s different because it’s you. _

  
  
  


Jisoo felt her nail tap against her thigh rhythmically, waiting for her answer. She breathed in deeply to calm her hyperactive nerves.

  
  
  


“Don’t watch me.” She said bashfully.

  
  
  


Jennie complied, turning her lean back on Jisoo. The sight made her flush a deeper red when she realized she was staring.

  
  
  


Gingerly, she pinched the hem of her gown and pulled it off with arms crossed. The ends of her hairs stood up as the cool air kissed her bare tan skin. Discarding it alongside Jennie’s clothes, she quickly dipped into the water to hide herself.

  
  
  


“Wow.” Jennie breathed, astonished eyes roaming Jisoo. The raven haired girl crossed her arms over her chest timidly under her gaze.

  
  
  


“I’m no pervert.” Jennie chuckled hastily, reaching for Jisoo’s hands to gently pull them down with a reassuring grin. “You’re beautiful.”

  
  
  


Despite the coolness of the surroundings, Jisoo’s body heated up instantaneously from the compliment.

  
  
  


Jennie led Jisoo by the hand toward the center of the lake. She felt the floor dip deeper, but the lake was fairly shallow, allowing both their necks to emerge on the surface.

  
  
  


“For what reasons would a vibrant girl like you come here to clear your head? You seem the one with no troubles.” Jennie asked.

  
  
  


Jisoo hummed in thought. “Sometimes I argue with Seulgi unnie. It makes me feel guilty, so I come here to calm myself before apologizing. The reasons aren’t that important. As you said, I’m one with not many troubles.”

  
  
  


_ You’re the only trouble I have right now. _

  
  
  


“You shouldn’t disregard your troubles like that. Any trouble is trouble, so don’t be afraid to tell me. We trust each other, right?”

  
  
  


Jisoo felt fingers entwine in hers, nail grazing spirals on her skin — a gesture that never failed to soothe her. She’s done it many times before, but every time she does it, Jisoo couldn’t help but feel both giddy and safe.

  
  
  


“Jennie.” The raven haired girl called softly, inching toward the latter.

  
  
  


“Yes?”

  
  
  


“Will you ever leave me?”

  
  
  


“Never.”

  
  
  


They spoke barely above a whisper, but the enclosed distance allowed them to hear each other as clear as day. Before, Jisoo would’ve panicked from being this close to her, but now, it only enveloped her in warmth.

  
  
  


_ The conviction in Jennie’s voice should’ve disparaged the ache in her chest, but why did she still feel uneasy? _

  
  
  


“Jisoo.”

  
  
  


“Mhm?”

  
  
  


“Will  _ you _ ever leave me?”

  
  
  


Jisoo breathed lightly on swollen lips that were inches away from her heart shaped ones. Her brain had a mind of its own, drawn in to Jennie like nothing else mattered — like she was the center of her universe.

  
  
  


“Never.”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s lips hovered over Jennie’s, breath hitched and hesitancy ensued. Their bodies were already pressed against each other, but the Earth girl couldn’t bring herself to close that final gap. 

  
  
  


_ Would it hurt more in the end? _

  
  
  


Her orbs flicked up to meet stormy ones, ones mixed with a series of emotions matched with hers – communicating the mutual concern of an uncertain future. 

  
  
  


Instead, she settled for her forehead, the dip right between her brows. She pressed her lips gently against the skin and exhaled, leaving that ember of her warmth.

  
  
  


The gesture was subtle, but enough to seal their promise.


	5. |V| Cipher

“Pass me more acorns.”

  
  
  


“Get them yourself.”

  
  
  


“Yah! You’re closer to it, Park.”

  
  
  


“Think fast!”

  
  
  


A blur of a brown object whistled by Jisoo’s line of vision and smacked Yeri square in the face, earning a snicker from Sooyoung.

  
  
  


“You’re dead!” Yeri yelled, shooting up from her squat to grab her own bowl of unpeeled acorns in preparation to barrage the taller girl.

  
  
  


“Stop! Stop!” Jisoo squealed, arms out on either side in a futile attempt to distance the troublemakers apart. Although the task of making acorn paste was simple, the two couldn’t do anything without provoking each other at one point.

  
  
  


“Bring it on!” Sooyoung retorted with a wicked grin, seizing a fistful of her own acorn.

  
  
  


“Seulgi unnie!” Jisoo cried out, retreating from her stance to protect herself from the forthcoming rain of acorns. Before any of the two could initiate an attack, the door of the hut bursted open, revealing a very irritated Seulgi.

  
  
  


“What are you two doing?” Seulgi chastised, storming toward Yeri and Sooyoung and smacking the back of their heads respectively. 

  
  
  


“She started it!” Yeri whined, thrusting an accusing finger toward the girl with a smug smile. “I asked her to pass acorns, but she threw one at me instead. I even asked nicely!”

  
  
  


Seulgi shot daggers at Sooyoung, wiping that smug smile right off. The taller girl shrunk under her glare.

  
  
  


“Is that true?” Seulgi queried with a threatening tone.

  
  
  


“Well, I thought it would be funny ― ah!”

  
  
  


Sooyoung shouted in protest as Seulgi pulled her ear scoldingly. Yeri stuck out her tongue at the latter who flailed around in her torment.

  
  
  


“Look! Yeri is making fun of me!”

  
  
  


Seulgi whipped to Yeri, whose tongue retreated back in her mouth just as quickly. Her other hand darted to twist her ear too. 

  
  
  


“Ah! I didn’t do anything ―”

  
  
  


Jisoo giggled at the sight of the two screaming girls as Seulgi reprimanded them for being careless amongst other complaints. Her fit faltered when two of the village’s scouts ran past them in evident hurry.

  
  
  


Her first instinct was to follow them to see what the rush was, but she was stopped by Seulgi calling out to her. “Where are you going? You still have acorns to smush.”

  
  
  


The older sister had long released Yeri and Sooyoung from her death grasp, both girls rubbing their abused ears and groaning. 

  
  
  


“I saw Seokjin and Jinyoung pass by. They looked like they were in trouble.”

  
  
  


“I’ll go check it out. Stay here and finish your chore. And you two,” She jabbed toward Yeri and Sooyoung’s direction with conviction, “behave yourselves.”

  
  
  


“Yes~” They said in unison, heads bowed down submissively.

  
  
  


Jisoo pursed her lips, following the back of Seulgi’s head jogging toward the direction she saw the two men go.  _ She’s keeping me in the dark again. _

  
  
  


“You heard the woman.” Sooyoung clasped her hands together and squatted back down with a grunt. “We need to finish this paste.”

  
  
  


The girls returned to their stations in silence: two of them due to the ruthless scolding they received, and one of them because of the return of that nagging eating at the back of her head.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


The dinner that night wasn’t enough to lift her spirits.

  
  
  


She hadn’t seen Seulgi all day. She had to eat with Yeri and Sooyoung without the supervision of the older, but surprisingly, the two kept themselves in check with only a few mild bickering here and there. The dismal mood Jisoo emitted seemed to reflect on them as well — a stark contrast to her bright dorky self. She didn’t converse with them like usual, succumbing to picking aimlessly at her food, her mind heavy with wonder and frustration.

  
  
  


Her worries only grew when Seulgi didn’t come home after dinner too. The village seemed to share her restlessness considering the lanterns of neighboring huts were still lit after the regular curfew.

  
  
  


“I wonder what’s going on?” Jisoo whispered to Rabbit that trudged around his tank aimlessly. He didn’t pay her any attention and continued his activity, prompting her to pout at being ignored. By a mere tortoise at that.

  
  
  


Along with her frustration of being kept in the dark, she was worried about how she would visit Jennie. She wouldn’t slip unnoticed if the village was still awake, and she didn’t know how long Seulgi would take to come back home. What if she comes home to Jisoo gone? Her cover would be blown.

  
  
  


Jisoo paced around the room, biting her nails anxiously while her brain whirred with distress. She huffed in frustration and turned to the opened window that framed the night sky.

  
  
  


_ How can I tell her I can’t come tonight? _ Jisoo propped her chin up her elbows on the windowsill. The night was still, no sense of the familiar breeze in its wake.

  
  
  


She observed the moon that was dimmer tonight, the bottom half covered by rolling dark clouds. 

  
  
  


_ Are we looking at the same moon right now? _

  
  
  


Her finger brushed her bottom lip, the tingling sensation of last night still lingering on the pink skin. The gesture only surged another wave of ache in her chest.

  
  
  


“Jennie.” Jisoo called to the moon wistfully. “I can’t come tonight. Please don’t wait for me and go home and have a good sleep.”

  
  
  


Only silence and stillness replied to her.

  
  
  


She felt silly for a moment. How can Jennie hear her from the moon? She scoffed at herself and turned away from the window to return to the comfort of her sheets. Before she did so, a soft breeze caressed her fringe.

  
  
  


_ Jennie? _ Her head whipped back to the window, eager digits touching the air for more.

  
  
  


But there was nothing.

  
  
  


_ Was her mind deceiving her? Her optimism deluding her? _

  
  
  


Her hand fell down by her side, greeting the stillness once more.

  
  
  


“Jennie…” She whispered to nothing.

  
  
  


Albeit the nothingness, that flicker of hope remained – a tiny flame in pure darkness. Tiny, but it was still something to cling onto.

  
  
  


Returning to her bed, her eyes drooped as she inhaled the fresh scent of the incense, lulling her into tranquility. Right before she drifted off into sleep, the door opened to reveal a distressed Seulgi.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


It’s been a while since Jisoo had a good night’s sleep.

  
  
  


The chirping of birds stirred her awake from her slumber. Her eyes cracked open to meet the cloudy day, along with some low voices talking in a hushed manner.

  
  
  


“What do we do about chores? She can’t go out to the forest with…” She heard Seulgi say fretfully.

  
  
  


“We’ll get the older ones to take on the chores.” Replied a deeper voice. Perhaps it was Seokjin? “The younger ones will have to stay in the village until further notice.”

  
  
  


Jisoo was dying from curiosity as she strained to hear more, squeezing her eyes shut to feign sleeping.

  
  
  


“It won’t happen again, right?” Seulgi’s voice cracked. It was one of those rare instances that Jisoo witnessed her sister lose her confidence. “She can’t go through that…”

  
  
  


“I hope not.”

  
  
  


A sniff was followed by a rustle, then followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. She peeked through one lid to see Seulgi’s rigid back turned to her, sat on a stool with an empty one across. 

  
  
  


She counted a few sheep before announcing her awakening.

  
  
  


“Good morning, unnie.” Jisoo chimed while stretching out her muscles dramatically.

  
  
  


Seulgi whipped her head over her shoulder and wiped something off her cheek hastily. “Good morning, Jisoo. Looks like the incense worked.”

  
  
  


Jisoo nodded and flashed a grin that Seulgi reflected. 

  
  
  


“I didn’t see you all day yesterday.” She pouted, prodding the path carefully. “Where did you go?”

  
  
  


She hesitated. “Seunghyun called for an emergency meeting for the eldest of each household.” She looked away from Jisoo, showing her side profile. “Don’t worry about it.”

  
  
  


Before Jisoo could ask a follow up question, Seulgi abruptly stood up from her stool and made her way to the door.

  
  
  


“I have errands to do.” Seulgi said from over her shoulder, eyes still avoiding doe ones. “You don’t have berry picking duty anymore, so stay in the village, okay? Play with Yeri or something.”

  
  
  


The door was shut before Jisoo could utter another word.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


“Something is going on, and I want to get to the bottom of it.” Jisoo pounded her fist against her palm with puffed cheeks. “I hate that they don’t tell us anything. Who do they think we are? Babies?”

  
  
  


Jisoo was huddled in a tight circle with Yeri and Sooyoung listening to her concerns intently. They bobbed their heads in unison.

  
  
  


“You’re right.” Sooyoung worried her plump lips. “We’re almost adults! We should know what’s happening. I knew Seulgi seemed off these days.”

  
  
  


“I agree!” Yeri added with a furrow between her eyebrows. “I haven’t seen the village this tense in forever.”

  
  
  


“That’s because you haven’t lived that long.”

  
  
  


“Whatever!”

  
  
  


Jisoo beckoned her hands down to defuse the two girls whose volumes raised instantaneously with their bantering. 

  
  
  


“They gather at the Chief’s place for their meeting.” Jisoo explained once they returned their attention to her, not without mocking one another first. “We just need to eavesdrop without getting caught.”

  
  
  


Yeri and Sooyoung shot each other a knowing grin — a little unsettling to Jisoo who felt like she was outside an inside joke.

  
  
  


“You’re asking the biggest pranksters to do something that requires not getting caught.” Sooyoung gleamed with a mischievous glint. “We got this.”

  
  
  


The two girls bumped their fists, followed by a jellyfish motion, enticing a chuckle from Jisoo.

  
  
  


“They must be having a meeting right now. Seulgi unnie left in a hurry this morning.”

  
  
  


“Then what are we waiting for?” Yeri shot upright from her crouched position. “Let’s go find out what they’re doing!”

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


The plan was simple. Yeri guarded north and east of the Chief’s hut and Sooyoung guarded south and west of it. With keen eyes, they could spot trouble from a mile away. When they do, they would scream their alert word “acorn” to alarm the other girls to abort the mission.

  
  
  


As for Jisoo, she was crouched underneath the window of the meeting room in a place that wasn’t super fancy — a plant box with fresh fertilizer recently added to it.

  
  
  


_ I’m sorry, Chief.  _ Jisoo grimaced while trying to navigate her foot around the plants to avoid crushing them in order to position herself accordingly below the window. She wrinkled her nose at the putrid smell issuing from the soil.

  
  
  


Once positioned, she stood on her tip toes and leaned as close to the window as her height could reach.

  
  
  


She picked up some muffled voices and focused more intently to make them out. She hugged the wall and pressed her ear hard against the paneling.

  
  
  


“Scouts… last night…”

  
  
  


“The wind… restless these days…”

  
  
  


“... war?...”

  
  
  


“Fires marching west…”

  
  
  


“... Air tribe…”

  
  
  


Jisoo’s blood ran ice cold at the mention of the Air tribe. She tried to steady her breathing as her panicked heart began pounding at the worst time possible, making it harder to hear through the thumping muscle.

  
  
  


“... high alert… deploy all scouts…” 

  
  
  


“Scout the entire forest tonight.”

  
  
  


Jisoo hitched her breath. In the midst of straining to hear the rest of the conversation, her foot slipped on stray moist soil, sending her tumbling into the ground with a yelp. She groaned with a mouth full of gravel.

  
  
  


“What was that?”

  
  
  


She clamped her mouth shut with her hand and backed up as tightly as possible to the wall. A bead of sweat trickled down the nape of her neck as she sensed someone scanning outside the window right above her head.

  
  
  


A moment of tension suffocated her.

  
  
  


“Must be a squirrel.”

  
  
  


With a gasp of relief, she removed herself and scurried away before she further risked herself getting caught. She clutched her chest when she was safely out of range, breathing erratically and shaking.

  
  
  


“Jisoo!” She saw the two girls hurry toward her. Their expressions changed from bright to concerned upon recognizing her anxious state.

  
  
  


“What’s wrong?” Yeri fretted, holding her arm to stabilize her while Sooyoung held her shoulder.

  
  
  


Jisoo blinked away the spots dotting her vision as she met their gazes.

  
  
  


“Big trouble.”

  
  
  


_ Jennie was in big trouble. _


	6. |VI| Distortion

Jisoo had to find Jennie tonight.

  
  
  


Seulgi was absent the entire day as she was the previous. The abnormality didn’t faze her as much anymore, the concern falling on the Air girl instead.

  
  
  


Seunghyun ordered a strict curfew that cut dinner short, much to everyone’s dismay, and adding to the uneasiness of the valley. Jisoo paced around the dark room restlessly, debating her odds.

  
  
  


_ The village should be asleep right now, but there’s more scouts than usual, even in the forest. I’ll get caught for sure. _

  
  
  


The burning worry for Jennie came back, along with a dire notion.

  
  
  


_ If I don’t find her, they will. _

  
  
  


Jisoo looked over at Rabbit watching her with beady eyes.

  
  
  


“What do I do?” She mumbled against the glass, heightening herself accordingly to level with him.

  
  
  


Rabbit regarded her with a look more complex than she had ever seen him muster, but she understood his message. She nodded with the mutual resolution.

  
  
  


“You’re right. I’ll go get her.”

  
  
  


Jisoo dashed out the door, leaving the tortoise in her wake.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


The ominous night seemed darker, most likely from the dark clouds that shrouded the otherwise bright moon once again. Jisoo scanned in all directions before following the habitual path to the forest.

  
  
  


She flattened against a hut’s wall, barely avoiding a scout’s line of vision. He peered the opposite direction of where she was before treading back to his route. She released her held breath and pushed herself off with shaky limbs.

  
  
  


All the scouts had torches, making it easy to spot and avoid them. However, there were  _ a lot _ more tonight than before. The whole village was practically lit with the sources of fire.

  
  
  


Jisoo clamped her mouth shut when she hid her tiny body under a hollowed log. She could hear the scout’s feet drag across the gravel on the other side of the wood before ceasing away from her position.

  
  
  


_ The forest is right there.  _ Jisoo crawled to the next structure, taking a small breather and tucking stray hair behind her ear.  _ But how many of them are in there? _

  
  
  


She rounded a brisk swivel to check her surroundings once she was a log away from the woods. She counted a few sheep, building momentous courage within herself, before making a blind dash into the foliage.

  
  
  


Diving into the forest floor, she gasped for the breath she clenched during her stealth. She stayed down and listened intently for any indication she raised suspicion. There were none. Only silence.

  
  
  


Once Jisoo steadied her breathing, she pushed herself up with a grunt and continued toward the cliffs.  _ Where are you, Jennie? _

  
  
  


Her back flattened against a trunk at the sight of an orange glow through some branches, along with the snapping of twigs from feet. She peeked over and counted three scouts.

  
  
  


_ There’s so many. _ She groaned internally. She waited impatiently as the scouts swept the area thoroughly before resuming to their next destination.

  
  
  


Once the coast was clear and the sounds of the scouts became distant, she removed herself off the trunk and pursued to the cliffs. The quickened pace transformed into a sprint as the pounding in her heart acted like a pumping engine, crashing through branches and foliage.

  
  
  


_ Please be okay. Please. Please. Please.  _

  
  
  


Breaking into the clearing, her nose met the thick scent of salt and the whiff of a calm ocean breeze. Her distraught eyes fell on the spot that they always occupied, at the nose of the apex, only to find it empty.

  
  
  


Ease cleansed Jisoo.

  
  
  


_ She’s not here. _

  
  
  


Heaving a sigh of relief, a smile twitched upon her lips. Jisoo tilted her head back to the sky and closed her eyes, letting her aching heart calm itself with the glow of the stars. She giggled to herself in daze, leaning onto the neighboring trunk to steady herself from the overexertion of energy. She felt like she could sing.

  
  
  


_ She’s not here. She’s safe.  _

  
  
  


Her wide grin was wiped off when the blaring of horns shattered the silent night — horns that alerted the whole village of trouble.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


The horns echoed through the woods in a succession that matched the pounding in her chest. Jisoo sprinted as fast as her legs could pump back to the village.

  
  
  


_ No. Please. _ She cried, letting the distressed tears she bore the whole day fall loosely.  _ Jennie! _

  
  
  


Her foot got caught in a root, sending her tumbling in the dirt, but she picked herself back up just as quickly as she fell. Through the bruises and scratches, the roar in her head overwhelmed all other senses – numbing them.

  
  
  


Breaking into the valley, she found the village awake and a large crowd gathered by the edge of the forest. She bolted to them, roughly shoving people out of the way. 

  
  
  


“Hey!”

  
  
  


“Watch where you’re going.”

  
  
  


“What’s wrong with her?”

  
  
  


Jisoo didn’t care about their complaints and annoyed glances shot at her. Once she reached the inner circle, her eyes sunk into what she dreaded most:

  
  
  


A battered Jennie bounded by her wrists and on her knees in defeat.

  
  
  


“Jennie!” She exclaimed through the heavy lump in her throat, rushing toward the girl. Both of their fearful orbs locked when she felt herself snap by a force abruptly stopping her in her tracks.

  
  
  


“Hold her back!” A bellowing voice commanded. A pair of brawny arms held Jisoo firmly by the waist, restricting all her advancement.

  
  
  


“Please, no!” Jisoo wailed, flailing in a futile attempt of fighting against the evidently stronger person. “Not her. Not her!”

  
  
  


Muttering broke in the crowd from the commotion. 

  
  
  


“What is that kid doing?”

  
  
  


“Isn’t that the Kim?”

  
  
  


“That Air is dangerous.”

  
  
  


_ They don’t know a thing about her. Jennie isn’t dangerous. _

  
  
  


Jennie’s shaky eyes never left the raven haired girl’s as Seunghyun lugged her light weight up on her feet forcefully.

  
  
  


“Won’t speak, Air?” He rasped with extreme vileness, detest etched all over his face that invaded the girl’s space.

  
  
  


Jennie didn’t falter from his act. She shot a vindictive glare before spitting on him in response.

  
  
  


The crowd gasped as Seunghyun cursed in rage. He raised a shaking fist, striking down on her face. She crumpled against the hit.

  
  
  


“Stop!” Jisoo shrieked. “Stop hurting her!”

  
  
  


“Someone take that girl away.” Seunghyun barked, pointing aimlessly around his scouts. “Youths aren’t supposed to be here.”

  
  
  


The arms clutching her waist hauled her back into the crowd. She thrashed to no avail, her legs flinging wildly and barely kicking a few villagers that parted away.

  
  
  


“You’re only making this harder.” Seokjin hissed into her ear.

  
  
  


“Don’t let them hurt Jennie!” Jisoo wailed. “She’s innocent.”

  
  
  


“ _ Innocent? _ ” He seethed in disbelief, releasing her waist to grasp her small shoulders. She winced from the iron grip of the fuming scout. “Are you hearing yourself? That girl is an  _ Air. _ ”

  
  
  


Before Jisoo could retort, screams bursted through the crowd as everyone backed and scurried from the once enclosed circle. Seokjin released his grip to swivel to the causation of the ruckus.

  
  
  


Jennie had broken out of her bonds and hovered over the Earth tribe. Disheveled fringe hooded her complexion and fury danced in those storm gray pools like crackling thunder – transforming her pure face into one of absolute terror. Her hands whipped the collected spheres of wind with expertise, flinging the blades of air at her attackers.

  
  
  


Seokjin knocked Jisoo away, the strength of his towering build barreling her onto the ground. She laid for a moment, dazed by the plunge, as she witnessed the Air girl fight off an army of Earth members.

  
  
  


_ No.  _ Jisoo scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the scene, barging past villagers running the opposite way.  _ I need to help her. _

  
  
  


Without a second to waste, she stomped on the ground and palmed the sprung chunk of earth at the back of the nearest scout’s head. He fell forward, catching the attention of his unit.

  
  
  


“Didn’t I tell someone to get that kid out of here?” The Chief boomed.

  
  
  


Jisoo extended her palm out toward the forest, letting the vines and plants snake around her forearm. She swung the whip at another scout, the sharp fiber wrapping around his neck in a choke hold, and flung him aside.

  
  
  


The chaos between the Air and Earth girl enticed confusion amongst the unit, buffeted back and front. Jennie soared gracefully, dodging every attack and returning them with full strength, while Jisoo held her stance on ground level and took out unknowing scouts. The wind had picked up in a frenzy, whipping her hair wildly and decreasing the accuracy of hailing nature targeted at the flying girl.

  
  
  


“Jisoo! What the  _ fuck _ are you doing?”

  
  
  


The voice of her sister shattered through her clouded mind and iced her veins. She froze, turning to find Seulgi’s appalled face amongst the flashing flames that casted dancing shadows.

  
  
  


Before she could utter anything, someone tackled her onto the ground.

  
  
  


The back of her head slammed onto the stiff surface, blurring her vision and knocking the breath out of her lungs. Seokjin was yelling at her, his curtained bangs flying wildly from his outburst, but the ringing in her ears tuned out all of his words.

  
  
  


Her focus trailed behind him, glimpsing Jennie fighting ferociously. Their eyes found each other, and she faltered from her maneuver for a split second at the sight of the downed girl.

  
  
  


_ No— _

  
  
  


That one second of hesitation was enough for a hunk of rock to smash against the girl’s chest, sending her in an uncontrollable spiral into the dirt.

  
  
  


Jisoo could only hear her own breathing. Her eyes jumped to the raging scout hovering over her. She had enough of Seokjin’s moving lips. She smacked him across the face.

  
  
  


That wasn’t enough to shut him up. She brought her knee up with all her might, striking his groin.

  
  
  


He weakened with a groan and Jisoo shoved him off. She staggered toward Jennie who was surrounded by the remaining scouts, palms in an offensive stance.

  
  
  


The scouts glanced at each other with uncertainty as they began to stumble from shifting plates, arms out in order to stabilize themselves. 

  
  
  


“Why is the earth shaking?”

  
  
  


Jisoo didn’t know, nor did she care. She lashed another scout away, clearing the path to the vanquished heap of the girl on the ground.

  
  
  


She collapsed on her knees in front of her. Jennie laid sprawled out, fringe matted to her drenched face and heaving gasps of air in agony. Albeit all energy seeped out and burnt up, dark orbs met stormy ones, barely visible through heavy eyelids, in a moment like no other.

  
  
  


The Earth girl turned to confront the unit, arms stretched out to expose all of her delicacy, shielding Jennie from further onslaught. 

  
  
  


“She’s innocent.” Jisoo pleaded hoarsely, chest racking up frail sobs. “She’s innocent.”

  
  
  


Seunghyun stood stiff in the front of dozens of wary scouts. Jaw clenched, his stern eyes never wavered at the sight of the pitiful girl.

  
  
  


“I’m on my knees. Please. She’s innocent.” 

  
  
  


The only sound filling the void between them were the crackling of torches and excruciating sobs as the men stood silent before her. She felt faint fingers press on the dimples of her lower back.

  
  
  


“Jisoo…” Jennie whimpered through cracked breaths, watery eyes struggling to stay open. “Don’t…”

  
  
  


“She’s innocent!” Jisoo cried strenuously, her mind crazed with yearning for everyone to understand, to see from her perspective.  _ Why can’t they see that Jennie is innocent? _

  
  
  


_ Why?  _

  
  
  


_ Why?  _

  
  
  


**_Why?_ **

  
  
  


Someone stepped out from behind the Chief. She cautiously made her way toward the hysterical girl.

  
  
  


“Jisoo.” Seulgi cooed, approaching her with hands up in surrender. “Calm down.”

  
  
  


“Unnie.” She croaked with a smaller voice upon seeing a familiar face. She wheezed through a suffocating chest. “You always told me to see the good in people. Why is Jennie any different?”

  
  
  


The ground trembled with another heaving sob, prompting the latter to pause before resuming once it ceased.

  
  
  


“Yes. I’ve taught you that.” Seulgi smiled softly, tilting her head slightly. “You’re a good person for knowing that.”

  
  
  


“Jennie is good. I saw the good in her. She’s innocent.”

  
  
  


Once the older girl reached Jisoo, she cupped her tear stained face with warm palms, thumb brushing aside streaming drops. Through her misty vision, she could apprehend her bear like features that were mixed with disconcertment. Through her misty vision, she couldn’t apprehend the heaps of bodies strewn all over the ground. Through her misty vision, she didn’t notice the crimson that soaked the green grass from the slaughter.

  
  
  


“You’re a good person.” Seulgi echoed, maintaining the same smile. “Now let the adults handle it, okay?”

  
  
  


The lingering ember of Jennie’s touch was whiffed out as a rock bashed against her temple and knocked her out cold.


	7. |VII| Judgement

“She’s dangerous…”

  
  
  


“No… she’s my sister… I don’t know what that _Air_ did to her…”

  
  
  


“It’s for her safety. Your safety. Everyone’s safety…”

  
  
  


Jisoo drifted back and forth between her consciousness. Her head retained heaviness and her entire body ached horribly. Through the drifts, she could hear some conversations, but it wasn’t for long when she slipped back into darkness, unable to comprehend the full context of the hushes.

  
  
  


“Did you see the devastation?...”

  
  
  


“She wasn’t… right mind… please.”

  
  
  


“... lock her up…”

  
  
  


She felt the twine of rough rope chafe the skin of her wrists once bounded. Strong arms lifted her to her feet and practically dragged her, considering she was still half conscious. 

  
  
  


The gravel and dirt under her soles didn’t provide her the same hearth. The fresh air that she loved turned to ash, tarnishing her tongue with its dryness. Neighbors and friends changed their gazes from loving to repulsive at the sight of the raven haired girl.

  
  


“That’s the crazy girl…”

  
  
  


“My brother is in the infirmary because of her..”

  
  
  


“Her and that _Air_.”

  
  
  


“Hyunbin and Yejin’s daughter…?”

  
  
  


Jisoo clamped her eyes shut in an attempt to tune out the gossip, focusing on trying to stay on her feet. However, her escort had longer strides than her, prompting her to stumble and trip from her shorter ones.

  
  
  


The incline dipped from under her — grass transitioning to cold stone, along with a damp atmosphere that stuck to her complexion. The crackling of torches lined on stone walls echoed through the dim corridor of cells. Even the dampness overpowered the heat of flames.

  
  
  


Jisoo had never stepped foot into the village’s dungeons. She was aware of its existence, but there was never a need for them. Crimes were never committed as far as she knew. 

  
  
  


_Probably because these were for prisoners of war._

  
  
  


She giggled to herself at her revelation, earning a weird glance from her escort. She always wanted to explore down here, being the curious child that she was. It was always locked and off limits. _First time for everything, right?_

  
  
  


A jingle of keys accompanied a groan of the rusty iron door being pulled open. A shove flung her light weight onto the rigid floor, followed by the echoing crash of the door being shut after her.

  
  
  


The stinging from the frigid impact was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She laid there for a while, embracing the stone kissing her scraped cheek, as she was too tired to do anything else. The numbing felt like a bliss.

  
  
  


No energy left to use, no tears left to cry, and no hope left for the world.

  
  
  


_Should I just die here? The floor is so comfy... and I’m so sleepy..._

  
  
  


Before she let slip her last trickle of tenacity, a voice called out to her that echoed faintly within her dazed head.

  
  
  


“Jisoo… Jisoo…”

  
  
  


_That sounds like Jennie._ It enticed another giggle from the raven haired girl, the corners of her brittle lips curling upward. _I wonder how she’s doing. I hope she’s doing well._

  
  
  


“Jisoo… Wake up…”

  
  
  


The voice began to clear through the fog, becoming realer by the second. Her slow heart beat began steadying as a surge of warmth flowed through her veins from the vocal she grew to adore. The last ember on the dimple of her lower back resurfaced, stoking the flicker of hope that persevered through and through for one girl. 

  
  
  


“Jisoo.”

  
  
  


Her eyes cracked open to find familiar cat ones gazing at her from across the hallway, brows stitched together in concern. Parallel iron bars were situated between the two, blocking the full view of the Air girl. 

  
  
  


“Jen… nie…?” Jisoo murmured, willing her blurry vision to fathom the blonde and black locks.

  
  
  


Jennie crawled to the bars, fingers wrapping around the metal and face pressed against the rust — the closest she could get to the other girl.

  
  
  


“It’s me, Jisoo. Please get up.”

  
  
  


“Jennie… I’m so tired…” She sighed, the words barely audible through the cracked skin.

  
  
  


“Please. For me.”

  
  
  


Fingers of dirty and broken nails twitched in front of her line of sight, like her body called for Jennie. Every bone and muscle screamed in agony, but the cardiac muscle in her chest was enough to overdrive all of them. Through grit teeth, she grunted and dragged herself across the stone floor until she met the stinging of iron.

  
  
  


The dried blood, bruises, and scratches would naturally ruin anyone’s face, but Jennie retained her charm albeit the swells. Her posture illustrated defeat, but her storm gray pools, although dull, still danced with thunder when trained on Jisoo. 

  
  
  


“There’s…” Jisoo croaked through a parched throat. “... something on your face.”

  
  
  


Jennie paused for a moment in disbelief before her lips curled up in amusement. “Right here?” She giggled softly, pointing to her temple where an angry blotch of purple resided.

  
  
  


“Yeah.” Jisoo giggled too, welcoming the infectious fit despite the action leaving her breathless. “It’s all over your face.”

  
  
  


“Does it make me ugly?” 

  
  
  


“Of course not. You’re always beautiful.”

  
  
  


Jennie cracked a small smile, cheeks dusted with pink. “You have something on your face too.”

  
  
  


“Where?”

  
  
  


“All over.”

  
  
  


Jisoo brushed her digits over her cheek and examined the red streak smeared on the soiled skin — a very alien sight to her.

  
  
  


“Uh oh.” She giggled again. 

  
  
  


Her mentality had fallen into hysteria, but the girl in the other cell caught her at the brink. 

  
  
  


“I'll get it for you.” Jennie whispered. “I’ll kiss it goodbye.”

  
  
  


“That’s silly. We…” 

  
  
  


_We can’t reach each other._

  
  
  


The conversation ceased, but it wasn’t like those nights on the cliff. Rather than the iridescent moonlight, it was the orange hue of torches that casted ominous shadows. Rather than the fertile earth, it was a cold stone floor. Rather than the lapping of waves, it was the cracking of fire. 

  
  
  


Everything was so starkly contrasted, but one aspect stayed the same: they had each other.

  
  
  


Frankly, that was all that mattered.

  
  
  


Jennie’s fingers, the one with her ring, inched through the bars, worming its way toward Jisoo. Her short arm could only go so far, not even covering a fourth of the hallway.

  
  
  


Jisoo mirrored the effort, face pressed against iron to maximize the distance. It was futile as there was a clear six feet between the apex of their reaches. Albeit the rift, Jisoo could feel the ghost of Jennie’s hand on hers — the feeling instigating that familiar sense of warmth and safety.

  
  
  


_I will never leave you._ Obsidian orbs told gray ones, a language that developed naturally over time. 

  
  
  


The latter pair twinkled sadly.

  
  
  


_Never._

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


Jisoo didn’t know how many hours passed. There was no small window to see the outside, which trapped the suffocating humidity with no cycle of fresh air. She’d never thought she would go this long without the kiss of the sun.

  
  
  


Occasionally, a scout she didn’t know would come by to hand them bowls of water and acorn paste through the flap of the door. She smiled at the irony.

  
  
  


_I was just smashing them earlier._

  
  
  


Then, her mind wandered to Seulgi, Yeri, and Sooyoung. 

  
  
  


_How are they? Do they think I’m crazy too?_

  
  
  


Her chest twisted with turmoil, but one glimpse at Jennie from across the hallway untwined it. She always had that effect — her simple presence calming Jisoo. 

  
  
  


Jennie licked her cracked lips after downing the water to lap in all the stray drops and returned Jisoo’s gaze. 

  
  
  


_Are you okay?_ Asked Jennie.

  
  
  


_Yes._ Replied Jisoo.

  
  
  


Jisoo missed her voice. The effort to talk was too great for their weak bodies, whose energy seemed to get sucked out by the stark stone walls. They settled for body language, which they were familiar with anyway, but it didn’t satisfy that longing. It was simply not the same.

  
  
  


Days passed without any news from above. Jisoo couldn’t sleep at all, drifting in and out in a restless slumber, as the strange whispers and echoes entertained her ears through the nooks and edges of stone. Insanity would’ve dug its claws into her brain at this point if it weren’t for Jennie’s company.

  
  
  


The cellars took a clear toll on the Air girl as well. Her cheeks lost its fluff, her luscious lips cracked and blue, her eyes dark and sunken. Most of her injuries dulled to bruises and swells, but the dried blood remained.

  
  
  


_Her blood, or the others?_

  
  
  


The dawning thought prompted Jisoo to look down at her own hands. Dirt filled the crevices of her palms and the skin was peeled and dry. Absolutely filthy. Her orbs fell on the red smear on her thumb, now a grimy brown.

  
  
  


**_Did I really…?_ **

  
  
  


The thought remained unfinished when a clatter of steps filled the otherwise silent cellars. Jisoo curiously peeked down the hallway to see dozens of feet heading toward them.

  
  
  


The leading pair none other than the Chief.

  
  
  


Jisoo glared at Seunghyun who casted her a nonchalant glance before swerving his attention to Jennie. 

  
  
  


“Don’t resist, or we _will_ use force.” He spoke sternly.

  
  
  


Jennie seemed to think twice about it, the hatred evident in her expression, but she raised her arms in surrender at the end. They bound her wrists behind her and roughly shoved her out the cell.

  
  
  


“Where are you taking her?” Jisoo demanded, but her small body only emitted a rasp.

  
  
  


Seunghyun’s hard eyes regarded her with no emotion, lips stretched in a thin line.

  
  
  


“Judgement day.”

  
  
  


Without another word, the man walked away with the five escorts handling Jennie behind him. When she passed by Jisoo, they locked eyes for the last time, a surge of unspoken emotion rushing between them.

  
  
  


_No, Jisoo._ Cat eyes begged.

  
  
  


Doe ones only returned a knowing glint.

  
  
  


**_I will never leave you, Jennie._ **

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


Strangely, Jisoo was calm – the calmest she’d ever felt the past few weeks.

  
  
  


She sat with legs crossed, back straight, and shoulders relaxed in front of the flap of the iron door. The cell across from her that was once occupied was empty, leaving her in her own head.

  
  
  


The dampness didn’t irritate her skin anymore. The darkness didn’t scare her anymore. The crackling of flames began to entertain her ears.

  
  
  


Was it that she was calm, or had she become numb?

  
  
  


She sat and she waited.

  
  
  


And waited.

  
  
  


And waited.

  
  
  


Finally, her prey arrived.

  
  
  


The scout had the usual two bowls in his hands. He casted a weird look at the sitting girl, as he was accustomed to her being on the floor. Nevertheless, he squatted to open the flap and placed the bowls down.

  
  
  


Before he could retract his arms, slender fingers swiftly gripped his wrists and yanked him into the bars that rattled from the impact. 

  
  
  


“Hey—“

  
  
  


His next words were stolen when Jisoo grasped the collar of his shirt in a tight fist to smash his face against the metal. 

  
  
  


“Agh…!”

  
  
  


Again and again. Her hands balled his hair for better control and smashed him repeatedly until the bars dripped red. The only sound echoing through the cellars was the cracking of his skull and his mangled cries.

  
  
  


**_Crack! Crack! Crack!_ **

  
  
  


With a crushed nose, mutilated forehead, and blood fountaining from his mouth, the scout deflated in defeat as he drifted to unconsciousness. 

  
  
  


However, the girl continued her assault with a rather stoic expression.

  
  
  


**_Crack! Crack! Crack!_ **

  
  
  


It was only when his entire complexion was painted crimson that Jisoo released her grip. She reached through the bars to pet his hip where the keys resided. The door gave way to the unlock.

  
  
  


She stepped over his body without sparing another glance and made her way up to the judgement.

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


Once surfaced, her hand shielded her squinted eyes processing the transition from dark dungeons to the vivid outside. The sun was bright and the sky was clear of clouds. By her definition, it was the perfect day.

  
  
  


The sight sent a wave of nostalgia to dance under the sun. The time spent in the cellars robbed her of such essentials.

  
  
  


However, her priorities laid somewhere else – on another person.

  
  
  


Left in her wake were bloody crumpled heaps of bodies of those that tried to stop her from leaving. Ruthlessly, she beat them with power that even she was surprised her body could lash out. 

  
  
  


**_They deserved it._ ** Was what she told herself while looking down at the crimson body by her feet.

  
  
  


From her inspection of the large audience, the whole village seemed to be present for the event. Due to her short height, she stood a few feet away, allowing her to barely spy the elevated ledge where the judgement took place. Seunghyun stood in front of Jennie who was situated on her knees, bent over a stump, and with disheveled hair draped over her face — prepared like a lamb for a slaughter.

  
  
  


“This is the _Air_ that trespassed on our territory…” Boomed Seunghyun as he paced back and forth with animated hands and hard expression.

  
  
  


No one noticed Jisoo yet who stuck out like a sore thumb: filthy, scrawny, and bloody. 

  
  
  


**_They’re all enjoying the show_ ** _._

  
  
  


The thought twisted her stomach further, eyeing at the faces intently soaking in the Chief’s words like sponge. 

  
  
  


“... we don’t show mercy for our enemies, for the safety of our tribe. Thus, the judgement had been settled.”

  
  
  


He pointed toward the executioner wielding a large, steel axe. The sleek metal glared bright from the sun’s reflection. The world stopped once the conviction marched through his lips.

  
  
  


“Off with her head.”

  
  
  


Cheers rumbled within the crowd at the declaration. Each applause only dug Jisoo’s nails deeper into her palms.

  
  
  


The executioner heaved the axe, swinging it for momentum. Jennie’s expression was relaxed as if accepting her fate, lips mumbling an inaudible prayer.

  
  
  


_Why aren’t you fighting back, Jennie? You didn’t do anything wrong, but they’re killing you._ **_It’s not fair!_ **

  
  
  


Jennie’s eyes opened to scan the crowd from beneath her curtained strands, to find the pair that spoke to her. 

  
  
  


Her words resonated within Jisoo’s head. 

  
  
  


_“_ **_It’s always the same cycle of hate._ ** _Everyone is too focused on hate that they’re blinded by the beauty the world could give. Their hate overcomes the possibilities they can achieve if they loved. Like touching the stars_.” 

  
  
  


_“Nothing is impossible.”_ Naive words from a naive girl.

  
  
  


_“You’re too optimistic_ **_for your own good_ ** _.”_

  
  
  


Her lips trembled, her fists clenched, her shoulders shook. The cracked portrayal of her fantasized world finally collapsed against the raging tsunami of reality, giving way to the truth she blinded herself from. 

  
  
  


The executioner raised the axe, its apex glinting white. The harsh steel whistled, cutting through the air in a perfect linear pathway down the neck. Jennie closed her eyes. letting loose one final breath for the end.

  
  
  


Jisoo exhaled, the wisp from her lips snuffing out the flicker of hope.

  
  
  


**_Thud._ **

  
  
  


Following was the poetic fluttering of birds’ wings into the clear sky.


	8. |VIII| Promise

_Her lips_ _parted from the skin, lingering over the seal with light breaths warming the spot._

  
  
  


_ Jisoo dipped her chin to level with the girl’s longing gaze. Her lips landed at the same spot – just barely touching Jennie’s. _

  
  
  


_ She felt fingers slip from their entwine to break the still surface of the water. Gentle digits grazed along the edge of her cheekbone before cupping it with a calloused palm. A ginger brush of a thumb on her bottom lip prompted her to wet them. _

  
  
  


_ “Jisoo…” Jennie breathed huskily. “When the time comes…” _

  
  
  


_ She pillowed her forehead on hers, her lashes tickling her skin. Jisoo could feel the other’s heartbeat against her chest that rang melodiously from the intimacy. _

  
  
  


_ “... let me go. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Can you promise me that?” _

  
  
  


_ She hesitated, the turmoil she repressed creeping back up from the request. _

  
  
  


_ “Jisoo.” She said with more conviction, almost pleading. “Promise. For me.” _

  
  
  


_ “I…” Jisoo gulped, lowering her own gaze in doubt. “I hope that time won’t come.” _

  
  
  


_ It wasn’t enough to satisfy the Air girl.  _

  
  
  


_ “Jisoo –” _

  
  
  


_ “I’m scared.”  _

  
  
  


_ The abrupt revelation halted Jennie’s insistence. The falter in Jennie’s posture prompted Jisoo to press forward with all her pent up worries tumbling through without a second thought. _

  
  
  


_ “I’m scared of losing you. I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose you. I don’t want to think about it. I want to stay with you. I like you so much that my heart hurts. I can’t bear it. So –” _

  
  
  


_ A tender press of a finger stopped her rambling lips. Jisoo didn’t realize tears were falling until Jennie brushed them aside, her gray pools swirling with several emotions as she processed the raven haired girl’s confession. _

  
  
  


_ “So please don’t make me promise.” Jisoo murmured on the finger, the ache in her chest prompting a sigh. She retracted from the latter’s touch before she could utter a word and turned away. Looking at Jennie only stoked the heartache. _

  
  
  


_ Sinewy arms hitched her breath as they wrapped around her waist, along with a plump cheek resting on the dip between her bare shoulder blades. She felt the slow rise of the Air girl’s chest as she nuzzled into her body. _

  
  
  


_ “I’m scared too.” _

  
  
  


_ A pregnant silence enveloped them. Jisoo could only hear the latter’s faint exhales on her skin, as hers were held in bewilderment and hope for something else – something more.  _

  
  
  


_ “I’m scared of losing you too. I want to stay with you too. I’m scared of you getting hurt. I don’t want to ever see you in pain if I can help it. Because...” _

  
  
  


_ Jisoo curved her hands onto the shape of Jennie’s that settled on her stomach as the confession she yearned for escaped from her lips. _

  
  
  


_ “... I like you too.” _

  
  
  


_ Jisoo released her breath, along with more silent tears as her heart soared and panged all at once. _

  
  
  


_ “That’s why,” Jennie continued, “I need you to promise me.” _

  
  
  


_ “What about me?” Jisoo asked, swiveling back to face her. “I can’t stand by if you get hurt. It’ll hurt me too. You’re – ” She bit her lip. “You’re being selfish.” _

  
  
  


_ Regret tainted her mouth once she observed hurt in Jennie’s expression. Her cat eyes casted down and her lips pursed. _

  
  
  


_ “I’m sorry.” Jisoo whispered apologetically. _

  
  
  


_ Jennie shook her head and let out a bitter chuckle. “No. You’re right. I am being selfish. I’ve been so caught up these days with everything, with the –” _

  
  
  


_ “War.” The word slipped from the tip of her tongue, but Jisoo was well aware now.  _

  
  
  


_ Jennie gave a small nod. “It’s my fault. We shouldn’t have met, so we don’t have to choose like this.” _

  
  
  


_ Despite the tough crossroads presented in front of the two girls, one choice stayed the same and Jisoo was willing to face the consequences – whatever it may be. _

  
  
  


_ “Don’t say that. I’m so happy I met you. I wouldn’t have wanted anything different.” Jisoo smiled softly. “I will never give up on you.” _

  
  
  


_ Jennie cracked a wistful smile and snaked her arms from Jisoo’s waist to rest on her shoulders to cup the nape of her neck. _

  
  
  


_ “Then let’s promise each other this.” She hummed, pillowing their foreheads together once again. “Let’s not do anything we’ll regret. We decide when to let each other go, whenever that time will be. I hope it’s not soon.” _

  
  
  


_ “Me too.” Her obsidian orbs regarded Jennie warmly with a bittersweet tinge. “I promise.”  _

  
  
  


_ Jennie’s eyes twinkled, satisfied with the response, and finally closed that final inch between their lips for a sealing kiss. _

  
  
  
  
  


~

  
  
  
  
  


**_I don’t regret a thing, Jennie._** A singular tear trickled down her cheek, collecting upon the corner of her sad smile. 

  
  
  


Her toes dragged across the gravel as she staggered heavily toward the front, through a parting that the crowd conveniently left before her as they scurried all around in pure chaos. A few bumped into her shoulders, but she advanced on.

  
  
  


Among the chaos, Jisoo found serenity.

  
  
  


Her ears tuned out the cries of ones getting crushed under rock, screams of those fleeing from the titan quake of the earth, and shrieks of everyone as the green valley flowed crimson. 

  
  
  


Her vision filtered out the panicked faces of her neighbors as they paid no heed to her in their fleeing — only tunneling on the girl before her, the girl that her heart called out for.

  
  
  


**_That means I kept my promise, right?_ **

  
  
  


She stepped over the writhing arm of the Chief protruding between two boulders, his blood dripping from the tips of his fingers to run into the crevices of the wooden platform. The air smelled of iron as she neared the bloodshed.

  
  
  


All of the people on the platform were dead.

  
  
  


Except one person.

  
  
  


Her head was still down casted, bracing for the steel that never came — the steel that met the wood in front of her instead when the executioner lost his accuracy due to the shake of the ground. The axe stood upright, burrowed into the wood.

  
  
  


Her bewildered cat eyes looked up to meet dark doe ones. A slender hand was held out, coaxing the girl to take it.

  
  
  


_ Why? _ Jennie seemed to ask once she stood up with the help of the hand — along with building dread as she absorbed the devastation before her.

  
  
  


Jisoo only cracked a knowing smile.

  
  
  


_ I wasn’t ready to let you go. _


	9. Epilogue

A man sat in front of the paned arched window of his tower. He watched the base hustle with soldiers preparing to march. His posture was slumped on the chair, elbows on the rests, and a leg crossed over the other casually. While the soldiers jogged back and forth with numerous supplies and harnessing camels, his thin face was pulled taut – one hand brushing through his swept scarlet hair and the other rolling a gold coin between his nimble fingers.

  
  
  


The chamber door creaked open from behind him, but his monolid eyes never wavered from the window. He simply kept rolling the coin.

  
  
  


“Lord Jiyong.” An apathetic voice greeted, breaking the still silence.

  
  
  


“What is it, Head Hanbin?”

  
  
  


“An update about the Earth tribe.”

  
  
  


Jiyong’s eyes shifted from the soldiers to his black nails. “Well, go on.” He said nonchalantly, observing them.

  
  
  


“They have fallen.”

  
  
  


Jiyoung paused, his rolling coin stopping between the apexes of his thumb and pointer finger. The dim lighting of the candle on his desk reflected on the metal, showcasing the engraving of a dragon spitting fire and intricate symbols lining the rim.

  
  
  


“How? Did the Air tribe launch their attack already?’

  
  
  


“Strangely enough,” Hanbin chuckled darkly, “it wasn’t the Air tribe. It was one of their own.”

  
  
  


“How did that happen?” Jiyoung peered over his shoulder, now curious and invested in the situation.

  
  
  


“Seunghyun captured an Air. It was bold of him to keep them in the dungeons, even more so when he ordered an execution, when he knew the consequence of his action against the Air tribe.” Hanbin hummed in thought. “From what I know, the Earth and Air escaped the execution and the entire village was devastated by an earthquake.”

  
  
  


“An earthquake?” Jiyoung let the coin slip from his fingertips to his palm, clasping it shut and feeling the cool gold on his skin. “The shaking from a few days ago, that was it?”

  
  
  


Hanbin nodded. “Yes.”

  
  
  


“It’s been a long time since an Earth could unleash that kind of power. The last time there was one that was…”

  
  
  


“Sixty seven years ago. At least that Earth won’t be a factor in this war. It seems they have gone rogue and independent considering they betrayed their own.”

  
  
  


Jiyoung pursed his lips. “We never know. It’s more concerning that we can’t keep tabs on a powerful individual such as that.”

  
  
  


The latter dipped his head and nodded, his scarlet bangs hooding his auburn eyes.

  
  
  


“We will keep that in mind.” Jiyong pocketed the coin in the breast pocket of his tunic. “When will your unit depart to the west?”

  
  
  


“Tomorrow morning. We will be following behind Suho.”

  
  
  


“Who’s in your unit again?”

  
  
  


“Mino, Sehun, Jongin, and Lisa.”

  
  
  


“Lisa? Manoban?”

  
  
  


“That’s the one. Head Bambam’s sibling.”

  
  
  


“He was a fine man.” Jiyoung sighed, eyes tinged with wistfulness. “Have a good night’s sleep for the march tomorrow, Hanbin.”

  
  
  


The latter bowed silently and turned on his heels that followed the creak and shut of the chamber door. Once the chamber had gone silent, the Lord returned to gazing out the window to the mass dunes of the desert.

* * *

Part 2 Coming Soon

Sun and Moon

A Chaelisa Fic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ Thank you for reading <3 I really appreciate everything :3
> 
> So I’m planning to continue this saga through a Chaelisa fic that explores more of the Fire and Water tribe, and the 3rd one will be OT4 (wow!!) and the series will be called “When Worlds Collide”. BUT I’m all out of writing juice at the moment, so I’m going to take a break before writing again because I want to write at my best. Soooo I can’t say for certain when I will publish it, hopefully by christmas? I think the worst outcome would be by next summer haha ;0 or not at all, which i hope won’t happen o_O i’ll try my best!! So sit tight. 
> 
> So that’s my plan for this fic. This could be a standalone fic if you don’t want to follow a series if you think about it haha it originally was anyway.
> 
> And now, I will talk about my thoughts and purpose through writing this jensoo fic (don’t read if you don’t want an analysis sort of thing LOL) :
> 
> My purpose for Jisoo’s character was to portray her as an unreliable narrator. She’s naive, young, etc. so she has no idea what’s going on until halfway through. It was interesting to see how you guys perceived Jisoo and her tribe because making her a bit psycho was pushing the unreliable narration. Even i was shocked about the jail scene (yeah i wrote it myself but HAHA it’s crazy how your fingers have a mind of their own when typing on the whim). If you want to think about it more, then you can think about the motives, ethics, and stuff from both parties, but I’ll leave it to your speculations. Who was really in the wrong?  
> I’ll just say that the next installment will have a clearer telling of this world and what’s going on.  
> Also, I originally planned to k word Jennie but I thought better of it because a comment changed my mind kekekek. It softened my heart enough to let her live, and it was for the better because I can write a series now.
> 
> Again, I really liked all their teasers, and hopefully we will have BP1 this year!! Also, Rosé has completely bias wrecked me this era. Looking forward to her solo!
> 
> IN CONCLUSION, that’s all I have to tell you guys. Thank you for reading this, and I hope to make a speedy recharge to continue this saga and pump out more jensoo fics for the nation B)) goodbye now


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